Should You Buy CBD On Amazon?

CBD & Amazon

Amazon is one of the most trusted sites in the world for across the spectrum of goods and services, however when it comes to CBD oil, one should exercise caution.

Amazon doesnt allow the sale of CBD oil products, so you will not find established brands on there.

 

What is CBD?

CBD or cannabidiol is a molecule that is exclusively found within the cannabis plant. Cannabidiol is one of 113 compounds called cannabinoids that exists naturally within the cannabis plant.

Nowadays CBD is gaining ground in the popularity game against THC because of clinical studies to show how it may have some medical benefits and unlike THC, it doesn’t exhibit the psychoactive effects. SO this means when you use CBD you won’t get ‘high’ or ‘stoned’.

CBD oil is simply cannabidiol that has been extracted from the buds of cannabis, purified and then suspended into a carrier oil. This carrier oil can be hemp oil, coconut oil or MCT oil. Usually these oils are consumed sublingually (placed under the tongue).

Cannabidiol can be taken/consumed in multiple different ways, not just as CBD oil. Cannabidiol can also be extracted from the plant and placed into different sprays, creams, balms and e-liquids. The buds/flowers from a cannabis plant can be inhaled by either smoking or vaporizing them. All which can have different uses, bioavailabilities and different associated health benefits.

 

Why Has CBD Become So Popular?

CBD has gained most of its popularity in the US and Canada where medical cannabis is legal (for the most part) and is quite commonly prescribed to those who may need it. The amount of people using Medical Cannabis and CBD products would explain why it has become a multibillion-dollar industry over the past few years.

In the UK CBD oil has gained traction, with the biggest rise being since medical marijuana was legalised in November 2018.

Amazon Customers Disappointed With CBD Experience

Citizen Truth reports what you will find on the site are fake products sold by individuals who see that “CBD” is a highly searched keyword with zero competition — because it not allowed — and jump at the opportunity to make a quick buck.

The end result is huge numbers of Amazon aficionados encountering disappointment in terms of their experience of CBD.

As it currently stands Amazon is explicit in not allowing CBD oil supplements, as evidenced in their restricted product list, which includes:

“Products containing cannabidiol (CBD), a Schedule I Controlled Substance, including but not limited to: Rich Hemp Oil containing cannabidiol (CBD).”

Since Amazon initially included CBD on this list, the world has to some extent moved on with the US 2018 Farm Bill, general Canadian legislation and plenty of other countries looking more favourably on the qualities of the substance.

 

Why Is CBD Restricted On Amazon?

Speculating on Amazon rationale for maintaining its stance on CBD, Citizen Truth goes on to say, that while the Farm Bill ended the mistake of lumping hemp into marijuana schedule I drug status, the online retail giant doesnt want to be responsible for babysitting their market to ensure people are selling CBD oil derived from hemp, not marijuana.

At the moment a cursory search of Amazon for “CBD oil” returns 20+ pages of results. This is because of the “tags” the seller is using in the back-end of their product listing. It a clever tactic to target popular search terms, without tipping off Amazon that theyre selling a prohibited product.

Even if the word “CBD” isnt in the product listing title, if it set up as a tag, it will still show up when someone searches for it.

If a product listing does say “CBD oil”, that just means Amazon has not identified them and removed the offending listing.

 

Putting CBD Products Listed On Amazon To The Test

To give an indication of the quality of CBD products found on the site, the market leader in Amazon rankings is HempWorks.

This CBD tincture does not have what it says on the bottle, advertised as having 1,000mg. An independent test carried out by the site shows the actual volume of CBD to be 8.7mg, quite a significant difference.

Similar testing down the leaderboard of Amazon CBD offerings showed similar disparity between what claimed by these companies as against the reality.

Products who carry false claims, can be quite damaging to the industry but genuine companies will have carried out laboratory tests and have an accompanying Certificate of Analysis (COA), as proof.

Other Potential Issues With Buying CBD On Amazon

Another potential issue when you buy cbd oil the site pertains to fake reviews. There are many ways for sellers to pay for reviews, so those should always be taken with a grain of salt as well.

So the message is, until such time as Amazon sees fit to officially take CBD off its restricted list, Caveat Emptor – Let the buyer beware. Don’t miss our similar article for more information on the best CBD oils available in the UK