Should you buy CBD products off Amazon or eBay?
Should you buy CBD products off Amazon or eBay?
CBD oil and products are more mainstream than ever before. With health and wellness at the centre of society at the moment, it may seem easy and attractive to get on this wave by ordering random CBD products online from Amazon or eBay. With nice delivery options and product ratings it is easy to see why so many have been enticed into the easy option.
However, when your health is at stake, is sparing ten minutes or so researching the proper advice and guidance of CBD products too much to ask? Especially when the person benefiting will ultimately be you!
Amazon’s policy on CBD products
It was only recently, late last year in fact that Amazon announced they were allowing, in an invite-only pilot, CBD products and businesses to operate through their UK site. Amazon stated in a report that selling CBD products was illegal on their website still, citing only those who were part of the scheme had legal status to sell.
With the success of this pilot there is recent news indicating Amazon will extend this scheme. However, most obviously, Amazon has not released any due guidance, advice or assurance that their CBD oil sellers are reputable and in line with UK health regulations.
The dangers
The main danger is the sheer size of Amazon selling base. Even if you do find the right CBD oils or CBD capsules for yourself there will be minimal transparent as to the contents of what you have actually bought. With the increased demand for CBD and Hemp products the market has been dangerously flooded with CBD products that are of unregulated quality and consistency. (Which is rapidly changing).
Whilst, currently Amazon does not technically allow the selling of CBD oil and products on it's site; companies not part of the pilot scheme have developed ingenious ways to infiltrate Amazon’s seller rules.
One example is, a company may claim their CBD oil contains X number of CBD milligrams per serving. When you have bought it and been able to look closer you will see it probably contains ‘Hemp extract’, with no CBD contents, or too small of an amount to contain any real health benefits.
A common danger of buying CBD oil off Amazon or eBay is that you will not know about the sellers methods and processes of extracting CBD oil from the actual Cannabis plant. Unregistered brands and sellers will often use pesticides and other chemicals that will enhance their extraction yield, creating a larger profit while diminishing quality.
However this can yield CBD oil that is tarnished with unknown pesticides, GMOs and other harmful chemicals. That is not to mention the extraction process which again, many unethical brands will use chemicals to manipulate the oil and dilute the original CBD benefits. These processes produce inferior products with no recognisable health benefits.
Our advice
Just as we are constantly being encouraged to shop locally for our vegetables, you should adopt the same thought process for buying your CBD products. Ok, so you may not have a local CBD seller in your area, but knowing where your CBD oil was originally grown, extracted and how it has been packaged will give you the peace of mind knowing your health is the number 1 priority.
Learn - Know what you would like out of your CBD oil or CBD product. Is it pain relief? Help sleeping? Or just as an added health supplement to your daily diet? The correct company will provide the information around each of their products and their appropriate uses; helping you make an informed decision.
Ask - Ethical CBD and Hemp product companies are only too happy to divulge all the information about their products. These companies thrive off happy customers and positive interactions; in the knowledge they are providing the best for other people’s health. Reaching out to existing CBD consumers is a great way to seek first-hand knowledge and experience.
Search - DO your homework. Search online for advice, be discerning and alert to advice that skews you to buy a particular range of CBD products for no obvious reason. A honest brand will be transparent about the contents of all their products and the origin of all their raw materials. Be privy to harmful chemicals and additives that are unnecessarily added to mainstream CBD products. Never buy a product that has a vague or non-existent ingredients list. The vagueness or obscurity is there to mask their unethical practices.
Conclusively for your own health and peace of mind always choose the small, organic and ethically run providers. They are the most reliable place to source your CBD oil and any other CBD product from.
Extra support
Hemprove is always monitoring our suppliers, checking feedback of our consumers and often trying the products ourselves to ensure we are a platform for only the best types of CBD products. For more advice check out our blogs on:
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