From time to time I hear this question, and at first glance the answer might seem to be: “of course you can buy CBD on Amazon – you can buy everything on Amazon.” But wait just a minute – CBD is actually on Amazon’s list of restricted products, right beside THC. Although the 2018 Farm Bill made CBD legal in the United States, it left it up to each state to decide on its legality. Perhaps this is why Amazon chooses to play it safe.
True confession: I fell for this at first. When I asked Google, “can I buy CBD on Amazon?” I instantly saw a seemingly endless list of hemp gummies, hemp cream, hemp oil, hemp seed oil, etc. I thought to myself, “oh, they are solving the problem by calling CBD a different name, so they really are selling CBD.” I was wrong, it is not as simple as that. Some of these products may have some CBD and some may not. In fact, hemp seed oil contains no CBD at all. Many other products that are listed simply as “hemp oil” are questionable.
Amazon is a HUGE marketplace, connecting buyers and sellers by the million. In this confusing legal environment they are keeping it simple. Since this is a largely unregulated market, there is precious little oversight, so let the buyer beware. “Hemp” and “CBD” are not the same thing, although many of us tend to think they are. Clever marketers have invented a workaround allowing them to sell on one of the world’s largest platforms. With this particular product category, however, buying from them can be a gamble.
A reputable CBD producer, like Bravo Botanicals, on the other hand, uses carefully selected and cultivated premium high CBD producing hemp plants. We then harvest only the flower and extract CBD oil. This is then sent to a laboratory for a Certificate of Analysis, to ensure that the oil has the correct levels of CBD, and very low (below 0.3%) levels of THC. A dedicated craft CBD producer does their due diligence to bring you the finest product available.
Be a smart shopper! Read the labels, large AND fine print, to be sure they say CBD on them and list the amount of mg per container and per serving. Again, the safest path is to buy direct from a company you trust; or talk to a knowledgeable retailer who can guide you to the best product for your individual needs.
Enjoy your CBD in good health!
– Mark Chickering
