Customers may find themselves confused by labeling practices in the CBD industry. How can you be assured that what is on the label is represented in the product? Unfortunately, some companies are misleading customers who don’t understand the significance of CBD concentration by selling large bottles of tincture that contain little CBD. You can protect yourself from making an unfortunate purchasing decision when you know how to spot questionable sales practices and misleading product labels. Here are some things to look for.
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1. Know The Different Tiers Of CBD Concentration
When selecting a CBD tincture, there are a significant number of variables to consider. It’s important to pay attention to how many milligrams of CBD are in the product, as well as the amount of CBD oil in the bottle. Most CBD oil tinctures contain anywhere from 250mg to 5000mg of CBD per bottle. The concentration levels generally fall into one of the following tiers:
Low Concentration: 250 – 500mg per bottle
When you first start using CBD, start with a low dose, and increase the amount incrementally until you find your best serving size. Since effectiveness depends on a variety of factors, a serving size that’s right for someone else may not be right for you. While a full dropper (approximately 1 millileter) is commonly recommended on product labels, you may find that amount to be more or less than you need. That’s why most early CBD users begin with a low concentration of CBD. A 30mL bottle of a 250mg tincture contains 8mg of CBD per 1mL serving, which is a great place to start.
Medium Concentration: 1000 – 2000mg per bottle
The average daily CBD user is likely to move up to a tincture with medium CBD concentration, such as a tincture containing 1000-2000mg of CBD per bottle. A 30mg bottle of CBD oil that contains 1000mg of CBD contains 33mg per dropper. Once an ideal serving size is established, many customers prefer to purchase a medium concentration product for the overall cost of savings, as well as the convenience of using less CBD oil per serving.
High Concentration: 2500-5000mg per bottle
High-potency CBD tinctures are most often purchased by experienced CBD users who prefer a higher concentration of CBD per serving. Tinctures of high concentration are not generally recommended for new users, but many customers eventually prefer highly concentrated tinctures to slash the cost of daily CBD use.
2. Read The Label Carefully
To protect yourself from purchasing an inferior product, it’s essential to stay away from CBD tinctures labeled in vague terms like “high concentration,” or “extra strength.” If the amount of CBD in the bottle (either per serving or per bottle) is not specified, the CBD oil tincture is not likely to have enough CBD to be of any value.
When you select a hemp-derived CBD oil from reputable companies, you will see the concentration of CBD per serving clearly indicated on each product label. You can also find the total CBD content per bottle through third-party lab test results. In general, each serving of CBD tincture is one full dropper (1mL), and each bottle contains 30mL of product — which equates to 30 servings. Multiplying the number of milligrams of CBD per serving by 30 will also tell you the total CBD content.
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3. Watch Out For Misleading Claims
Before purchasing a CBD oil, it’s important to be aware of some of the common product labeling practices used to take advantage of inexperienced customers. Some companies will place a low concentration of CBD in a large bottle to prey on those looking to get more for their money, while others will leave out important product information. To protect yourself from purchasing a disappointing product, pay attention to the following.
Overall CBD Content
Many companies still rely on placing the total CBD content on a product label rather than breaking the numbers down by serving size. This can lead customers to believe they are getting more CBD per serving than they actually are. After all, 250mg of CBD in a small bottle sounds like a lot of CBD, right? Many people are used to purchasing products like beer or wine where the 5 percent alcohol concentration remains consistent regardless of bottle size, but CBD doesn’t work that way. A 1000mg tincture contains 1000mg of CBD in the entire bottle, regardless of that bottle holding 15mL of tincture or 30mL.
Cost Per Serving
For consumers shopping for the best price, it’s important to consider the cost per serving to identify the best value product. If you’re finding a comparatively low-cost product in a large bottle, consider how much of the product you would need to take in order to achieve the concentration of CBD you’re looking for. To determine the amount of CBD per serving, divide the number of total milligrams of CBD in the bottle by the amount of CBD you want per serving. Let’s use 30mg as an example: A 1000mg bottle contains 33 30mg servings (1000 ÷ 30 = 33). You can calculate the cost per serving by dividing the price by the number of servings in the bottle.
If you don’t know the concentration of CBD in your product, you have no way of knowing how much CBD you are taking. Even if the CBD concentration is specified, you will want to look at the third-party test results to confirm your tincture is as potent as the manufacturer claims. Not knowing the CBD concentration could have significant consequences. These include the following.
Wasted Money
Not knowing the CBD concentration of the products you select places you at risk of purchasing a product that may not be right for you. If you’re taking less CBD than you realize, you may wonder why you’re not noticing any effect. If you’re unknowingly purchasing a higher concentration, you could be taking significantly more CBD per serving than you realize. It is important to monitor your intake amount so you can optimize use of CBD for your own specific needs.
Wasted CBD
If you’re not paying attention to the cannabinoid content, you could be wasting your CBD by using more than you need to, or could be buying products more often than necessary. You could also be wasting CBD if you are simply taking the serving size recommended on the product label without taking the time to determine the best serving size for your needs. Once you know the specified CBD concentration and your ideal serving size, you can avoid wasting CBD.
Improper Serving Size
Since CBD comes in varying concentrations; if you don’t know the concentration, you could be taking the wrong serving size. If you normally take a full dropper of a 500mg tincture, a full dropper of a 250mg bottle is not an equivalent. To get the same amount of CBD from a 250mg bottle as a 500mg bottle, you would need to consume two full droppers for the same effect.
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4. Verify CBD Concentration
Companies you can trust clearly state the CBD content per serving on all CBD tincture product labels, and the total cannabinoid content per product on their website. When you know what to look for on the label of a CBD tincture, it’s much easier to find the right product for your needs. It’s also much easier to determine the best value for your money. The higher the CBD concentration, the less CBD oil you will need per serving.
Understanding the significance of CBD concentration and the importance of detailed product labels makes it easier to find the best product for your needs. For full-spectrum CBD tinctures, 0% THC tinctures, CBD topicals, capsules and vape products, companies with CBD products are getting these products tested by an independent lab to ensure the consistency, purity and potency of the products.
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