Quality Matters: How to Choose the Best CBD Oil

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring compound found in industrial hemp. It’s become the hottest wellness product, helping people manage common health issues. You’ve seen CBD products everywhere. They’re online, in physicians’ offices, at health food stores, in mall kiosks and even at gas stations. 

But popular doesn’t always mean trustworthy. It’s important to know what you’re getting when buying CBD products. 

Quality CBD products start with a meticulous growing, harvesting, processing and formulation process. At Half Day, we take this process seriously, and make it our mission to be as transparent as possible. 

To help you navigate the crowded CBD landscape, we’re sharing tips on how to buy top-quality CBD oil. 

Look into how the hemp is grown. 

Before you buy any CBD products, find out where the company sources its products. At Half Day, we work closely with a network of Illinois farmers who test and adequately prepare their soil prior to harvest, tend to their hemp crops throughout the cycle, and do not use any pesticides. It’s also important farmers use hemp strains that have been carefully bred for a robust cannabinoid profile, while keeping THC regulatory compliant, or below .3%. 

Check out the harvesting process.

Farmers harvest all plants around September or October to ensure consistency, and then they clean and hang the plants for several months to allow them to air dry. Proper harvesting has a direct impact on the quality of the hemp.  

Keep it simple. 

Try to find a brand that uses the supercritical CO2 extraction process, intense pressure and temperature change to strip the hemp of oils, waxes, and everything else. The result is a pure extract that doesn’t need additional filtering or evaporation. 

CBD oil should contain only two ingredients: CBD dissolved in oil made from hemp seeds or coconut. At Half Day, we use MCT (Medium-Chain Triglycerides) oil, essentially coconut oil that is flavorless and easy to digest. 

Know the difference between full-spectrum oil and CBD isolate.

As you research your options, you’ll see full-spectrum oils as well as products labeled as CBD isolate. 

Full-spectrum oils contain CBD and other nutrients from the cannabis plant, including a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, protein, chlorophyll, terpenes, and flavonoids. Trace amounts of THC may be present. Full-spectrum CBD oils may benefit from the “entourage effect,” a belief that the ingredients work better together than in isolation. 

With CBD isolate, you get pure, isolated CBD. There are no other cannabinoids, terpenes or flavonoids, and little to no risk of THC. 

Review third-party test results. 

Not all CBD manufacturers test their products or share the laboratory results – makes you wonder what they might be hiding. Lab tests shed light on quality, potency, and consistency. Look for companies that use independent third-party testing labs to provide an analysis of their products, and review the results closely. This can be key to sniffing out the poor quality CBD products out there. 

Understand price does not always indicate quality.

You’ll see a range of price points for CBD products, and various factors may influence the price. For example, a brand that sources hemp from overseas may produce inferior, cheaper products, and on the flip side, a brand that uses a complex process may charge a premium. Consider more than just price when choosing which CBD brand to buy.    

The CBD landscape may be complicated, but putting in the time to understand how to find a good quality CBD product versus a bad one is worth it. Brands that control the supply chain – from knowing the farmers who grow the hemp to bottling their oils themselves – are brands you can trust to be safe, potent and of the highest quality.

At Half Day we offer the highest quality CBD oils, to begin your journey check out our CBD Oil Page. Our most popular CBD oils are the 2000mg Half Day Pro and the 1000mg Full Spectrum with Terpenes if you're looking for a whole plant experience. If you are a fan of smokeable CBD flower we offer 8th's  and pre-rolls!