Five tips for buying safe CBD online

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Given all its purported benefits, it might seem great that you can now buy CBD products just about anywhere. But you still need to take care to make sure what you’re buying is safe, write Hapi Hemp co-founders, Sam Day and Lorraine Clark.

The Home Office may have legalised the sale of CBD Oil in recent years, but there has been very little quality control in the industry.

However, that is all about to change with the introduction of the CBD Novel food act.

CBD is regarded as a novel food, which means that CBD now must pass through intense authorisation processes for medical or food supplements before it is allowed to be sold on the market.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has given all CBD companies until 31 March 2021 to have a validated novel foods application. After this date, only CBD brands that have been accepted will be allowed to continue operating.

Some CBD products available at some retailers can be of dubious quality and still there are many that do not share transparent lab reports. Some of the products have almost no Cannabinoids in them, so they won’t work and are often just cheap hemp oil. This information is especially important as there can be a substantial difference high quality and low quality. 

CBD isn’t cheap, so you must make sure you are getting good value when purchasing any products.

There are a lot of good products out there, you just need to do your basic research and read up on buying CBD online. 

Here’s our tips for buying safe CBD online in the UK

Check lab reports

Check there are full lab reports online with each CBD product.

Look for contact details

Does the website offer support online? Is there an option to chat? Is there a contact number and address? Are there transparent social media platforms?

Some of this may seem basic but believe it or not there are some people making CBD tinctures from their kitchen. It is illegal to not have an address or contact number on a website selling CBD. You also need to make sure you can speak to a real person in case you have any questions.

Never buy CBD off a Facebook group. Many reputable CBD websites have a section where they answer the most frequently asked CBD questions.

Read the reviews

Are there any reviews you can read online? Take a look at the products you are interested and see if there are reviews from customers that have brought them.

Trade associations

Is the company a member of professional trades association? This very important, as currently the CBD market is unregulated. They are also not allowed to make crazy medical claims – however many do. Cannabis Professionals (CannaPro) is one trade association for the UK’s cannabis, CBD and hemp businesses. Check the CBD company you are looking at is a member.

Learn about those behind the brand

Are they based in the UK? Many reputable companies have an ‘About us’ section, so you can find out a bit more and it will give you a bit more trust and peace of mind.