Mar 24, 2022

How to Avoid Fake and Poor Quality CBD

If you feel overwhelmed by the abundance of CBD products on the market, you’re not alone — not only are there a plethora of products currently available, it can also be challenging to tell if a product really is what it claims to be. Because the CBD market is currently unregulated, anyone can advertise “fake CBD” made from unsafe growing processes or they mix in mystery ingredients that aren’t made known to the consumer.

Here is our guide to help you understand how to spot poor quality CBD products and explain the big difference that quality and reputation can make.

How Can You Avoid Poor Quality CBD?

Although there really aren’t fake CBD products on the market, you can definitely find yourself buying poor-quality CBD. Admittedly, we’re all tempted by cheap products from time to time. The problem is, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you haven’t heard of the brand and your internet research isn’t turning up many positive results or reviews, you might want to think twice before buying. It’s in your best interest to use a product from a well-known, established brand that has built a reputation in the market — like Level Select CBD.

We use only the best top quality and high potency ingredients. Plus, we manage our entire CBD manufacturing process ourselves, so by cutting out the middleman, we can make quality our top priority at an affordable price.

What Matters: “Good” and “Bad” Ingredients

When it comes to CBD, cheaper or less well-known products can mean that the producer is using cheaper, poor quality or synthetic ingredients — and their products may contain pesticides, mold, heavy metals and solvents, which aren’t the greatest for your health. You can see that it’s not just a matter of whether a product contains CBD — it’s what else it might contain along with the way the product is obtained, extracted, manufactured and tested.

It’s important to be sure of what your CBD contains. Make sure the company tells you where the hemp was grown and see if they can offer you a report so you can trust that it’s THC-free. You probably don’t want to take the risk with your health and well-being just to save a dollar or two, but there are also many expensive CBD products out there as well, so you want to make sure you’re paying for quality.

Level Select’s Sports Creams and Sports Roll-ons boast a proprietary blend of Broad Spectrum and Nano CBD, while our CBD Oil Drops offer high levels of broad-spectrum CBD — all at an affordable price.

Why You Need To Use a Higher-Quality CBD

You want to know what you're buying and that the product contains what it’s supposed to contain. The Mayo Clinic reports that a recent study discovered that out of 84 CBD products bought online, more than a quarter of the products were mislabelled and had less CBD than they claimed. That’s why it’s important to buy from a trusted brand.

Furthermore, THC was found in 18 products, so you should make sure that the company provides a COA (Certificate of Analysis). A COA is a document from an independent third-party lab that shows the quantity of different cannabinoids in the product. This can be especially useful if you have any CBD concerns about getting high or if you’re pregnant — it’s also good to note that the FDA advises pregnant women to avoid products containing marijuana, THC or CBD for safety reasons.

The Bottom Line

Level Select’s CBD products contain 0 percent THC so you won’t have to worry about accidentally getting high or experiencing any psychoactive effects. Our CBD starts with high-quality seed genetics and undergoes rigorous third-party testing so you can also be assured that you won’t be ingesting any contaminants or inferior or dangerous ingredients. You can scan the QR code on all our packaging to obtain easy access to our COA (Certificate of Analysis), or you can check the COA on our website. Our team has developed innovative hemp seeds that have been shown to vegetate and flower better than other seeds on the market — so much so that we were awarded the 2018 Growers of The Year by Indo Expo. And you can trust that our products are grown and produced in the U.S. — we own and operate hemp farms and greenhouses across the U.S. in California, Colorado, Minnesota, Maryland and West Virginia.

Take a look at our wide range of CBD products — we’re sure you’ll find a product to meet your wellness needs.

Stacy Mosel, LMSW, is a licensed social worker and psychotherapist. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in music from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, she continued her studies at New York University, earning a master of social work degree in 2002. She writes in the fields of mental health and holistic wellness, drawing on her prior experiences as an employee assistance program counselor, individual and family therapist, and assistant director of a child and family services agency.