CBD oil dropping into a bottle

Cheap CBD Oils: Why You Should Avoid Them

Regardless of whether you’ve been using CBD for a long time or if you’re just starting, cheaply priced oils can be alluring. While we all want to save money these days, cutting corners in some aspects of our life may not prove to be the best decision. This is definitely the case for CBD products. In fact, along with being ineffective, cheaply priced CBD oils may also end up being harmful to your health in the long-run. The explosion in CBD’s popularity has led to the market being flooded with both reputable and unreputable brands. It’s up to you, the consumer, to be able to decipher the good from the bad. 

While reputable brands, like FAB CBD, work hard to craft clean, potent, effective oils, less reputable brands that cut corners entice customers with their cheap product prices. These types of brands use low-cost methods of manufacturing products which ultimately leads to low-grade products that are sold for rock-bottom prices and that can be laden with harmful solvents and other dangerous chemicals. There are good reasons why top-shelf CBD oils made by respected and trusted brands are more expensive. It takes time, energy, and money to invest in organic farming methods, high-quality manufacturing processes, extraction methods that are the industry standard, and independent third-party lab testing of all final products. 

Customers can trust brands like FAB CBD because we prioritize transparency and the safety of our customers. In light of that, we’ve come up with this detailed guide to show you why buying cheap CBD oil should be an option. 

Why You Should Avoid Cheap CBD Oil

A woman sitting outside looking at a box of CBD oil

Even though it feels good to save money wherever and whenever you can, cutting corners on your choice of CBD oil isn’t an option. Below are our top reasons why you should avoid cheap CBD oil. 

1. Cheap CBD Oil is Often Lower Quality CBD Oil

When thinking about buying cheap CBD oil, remember the old saying, “you get what you pay for.” While old fashioned, this phrase definitely rings true here. Cheaply made CBD oils are often inferior in quality when compared to oils made by respected brands like FAB CBD. Along with being ineffective, cheap oils can also be dangerous. Less reputable brands cut corners to produce cheaply made oils that are loaded with chemicals, toxins, solvents, and even illegal levels of THC. As a consumer, you should be on the lookout for these types of products. One way to easily spot them is if a brand makes outlandish or wild claims about its products. This should immediately raise a red flag for you as a consumer.

2. The Brand Sources its Hemp From Questionable Places

Hemp buds spilling out of a glass jar and a bottle of CBD oil

Hemp that’s grown in the United States is held to different standards than hemp that’s grown in other areas around the world. Therefore, trusted brands will source their hemp from certified organic hemp farms in places like Colorado, Kentucky, Oregon, and elsewhere in the United States. Organic hemp farms are highly regulated and must follow strict standards set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA. Otherwise, if a brand sources its hemp from places where it isn’t regulated, then there’s a strong chance that the plants will contain harmful chemicals and other impurities in them. Hemp that’s grown and cultivated in the United States is held to high standards because it’s heavily regulated. Look for brands that use organic hemp from the United States in the creation of its CBD oils. 

3. Cheaply Made CBD Oil Can be Potentially Dangerous

In order to craft CBD oil, hemp extracts need to be distilled and condensed. This is accomplished by heating it under pressure through various extraction methods. Currently, the CO2 extraction process is the industry standard for obtaining clean, pure, and potent extracts. All of the equipment, labor, and technology needed to extract hemp is extremely specialized in nature and very expensive. Respected and trusted brands use the industry preferred CO2 extraction process to ensure that their extracts are free from harmful fungicides, pesticides, heavy metals, herbicides, and solvents. The cheaply priced oils made by lesser-known brands can contain dangerous solvents and any number of the chemicals listed above because they’ve cut corners during the extraction process. These types of oils should have you concerned about what you’ll potentially be putting in your body. 

4. Avoid Brands That Skip Testing Their Products

All reputable brands, FAB CBD included, use an independent third-party lab to routinely test all of their products for potency and purity. Cheap CBD oil brands can sometimes claim that their products are lab tested, but if they aren’t posting these lab results, then chances are the products were never tested in the first place. If you can’t find recent third-party lab reports from an accredited independent lab on a brand’s website, then there’s no telling what chemicals may be lurking in that bottle of oil you’re interested in. In some cases, the oil may not contain any CBD at all, even though it’s advertised as being a “CBD” oil. Lab tests are important because they prove that a product contains exactly what the brand lists on the label, and that it's also safe to use. It costs money to have independent labs test products, so any brand that skips this step in their manufacturing process should be avoided. 

5. Avoid Potentially Illegal CBD Oil

A man sitting in front of a laptop pulls a bottle of CBD oil out of its box

Thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, all hemp-derived CBD oil that contains 0.3% or less THC is legal to buy and sell throughout the United States. Any oils that contain over 0.3% THC are considered marijuana-derived oils, and are only legal in states with medicinal and/or recreational marijuana laws in effect. While you cannot get “high” from using hemp-derived oils, marijuana-based CBD oils will absolutely evoke feelings of euphoria in those who use them. If a brand cannot prove that its oil contains the legal amount of THC, then you should avoid it at all costs. This is another reason why trusted brands use an independent lab to test their products, as these tests also verify the THC content. If you purchase cheap CBD oil and aren’t able to verify the THC content in it via a third-party lab test, then the product you’re possessing is potentially illegal in nature. Moreover, elevated levels of THC in an oil will cause you to fail a drug test, feel “high” and/or cause you to experience other unpleasant side effects. FAB CBD uses ProVerde Labs, an independent third-party lab, to test all of its CBD oil  for potency, purity, and to confirm that each bottle contains at or below 0.3% THC. 

Closing Thoughts: Vigilance When Buying CBD Oil is Key

Two friends sit on the patio and talk while one of them opens up a bottle of CBD

The CBD industry is ever-growing and exploding with a wealth of brands and products. Whether you’re new to CBD or have been using it for an extended period of time, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the sheer number of brands and products to choose from. When it comes to buying CBD oil, or any other type of CBD product, vigilance and education are key. It’s only human nature to want to save some money here and there, but when buying CBD products, it’s imperative to avoid cheaply made CBD oils by less reputable brands. Not only can these oils be ineffective or chocked full of harmful chemicals, on the other end of the spectrum, they can also contain illegal amounts of THC. Only by educating yourself through research about brands and products, as well as thoroughly reading product labels, will you be able to avoid the seduction of cheaply priced CBD oils made by lesser known brands. 

Additionally, you’ll be able to find a wealth of information about CBD products, brands, and CBD in general on the websites of trusted and reputable brands, as well as through verified customer reviews, and the publications of CBD journalists and industry experts. These days, even cannabis advocates are rising to the occasion by educating consumers about the pros and cons of using CBD oil as part of their regular supplement routine. As a general rule of thumb, be very wary of brands that make too-good-to-be-true claims about their products, that try to seduce you by using fancy verbiage, or that make wild promises about what their products can and cannot do. Sadly, these types of brands peddle cheaply made CBD oils that can also contain nominal amounts of CBD and large amounts of unwanted chemicals. It’s easy to verify the credibility of any brand that you’re interested in by spending an appropriate time doing your research. If you rush into things and skip this step, then you could find yourself owning a low-quality bottle of CBD oil from an inferior brand.