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Once viewed as a fringe substance, CBD has now made its way into the mainstream. Due to a continuing lack of FDA regulation, however, there are no overarching quality standards in the CBD industry.
As a result, it’s up to consumers to determine which CBD products are high-quality and effective. To make it easier for you to choose CBD oil brands that offer the best value and the safest products, we put together this detailed review of the best CBD brands of 2021 and beyond.
Best CBD Companies Ranked
Let’s start with a brief overview of the brands we chose. We’ll provide details on why we chose these brands as we proceed:
1. Best All-Around & Highest Quality: Colorado Botanicals
2. Best By Reviews: Medterra
3. Best Full-Spectrum: Nuleaf Naturals
4. Best Price: Bluebird Botanicals
5. Highest Concentration: cbdMD
Other Great Brands
The first five brands in our list might offer the best CBD products, but they aren’t the only high-quality options on the market. We’ll also briefly cover the following five brands in our review:
7. Spruce CBD
8. CBDistillery
9. Lazarus Naturals
10. Charlotte’s Web
Which Company Has The Best CBD Oil in 2021?
To find the best CBD oil companies on the market, we devised a set of criteria that we applied to each brand that we considered. Leveraging our own expertise and calling upon the insight of industry experts, we determined the value that each brand in our list provides by thoroughly evaluating the following factors:
1. Brand Credibility
There are dozens of different ways to make CBD, and some brands cut corners to boost their profits. We took dozens of different factors into account as we determined the overall credibility of each brand we reviewed.
- How adaptive and well-designed was the brand’s website?
- How well was their site content written?
- How quickly did they respond to customer inquiries?
These are just a few examples of the variables we used to determine brand credibility.
2. Hemp Source
U.S. hemp is the highest-quality, and using hemp grown in the United States supports the domestic agricultural economy. Brands that used organically grown hemp cultivated in the United States received the highest grades.
We also took into account factors such as whether a brand’s hemp was U.S. hemp authority-certified or non-GMO. At this point, non-GMO hemp is the standard in the industry, so we disqualified brands that used hemp that was genetically modified.
3. Extraction & Purification
There are a variety of solvents that brands can use to extract CBD from hemp. Some of these solvents are difficult to purge from finished products, however, and they can cause respiratory harm.
Carbon dioxide is widely recognized as the safest extraction solvent for hemp. As a result, brands that use CO2 extraction received high scores while brands that use butane, ethanol, or acetone extraction were penalized.
4. Lab Reports
In lieu of FDA regulation, third-party lab testing has become the gold standard for determining a hemp product’s safety and quality. CBD products that have been third-party lab tested can be verified as not containing contaminants.
However, there are quite a few different third-party lab test providers on the market, and some are less independent than they seem. In addition to making sure that products were tested, we also looked at which company provided the lab tests for each of the hemp brands we examined.
5. Customer Service
You can learn a lot from how a CBD brand handles its customer service. Obviously, customers are better served by brands that respond quickly and offer courteous customer service.
If a CBD brand’s customer service is lackluster, however, that brand might also be lacking in other ways. We checked each brand’s customer service capabilities to determine its overall integrity and attention to detail.
How Our Experts Chose These Criteria
We’re no strangers to the CBD industry. We’ve watched interest in CBD grow over the years, and we’ve observed the highest and lowest points in the industry’s history.
Over time, the experts who put together this guide have had plenty of chances to compare and contrast CBD companies. We’ve seen which companies have risen to the top, and we’ve seen how they achieved these results.
At the same time, we’ve become familiar with the most common points of failure within the CBD industry. We developed our evaluation criteria based on longitudinal research into the brand factors that are most likely to result in high-quality CBD products.
Best CBD Companies: Detailed Reviews
Without further ado, let’s unveil the five brands that currently produce the industry’s best CBD products. Each of these brands brings something different to the table, but they all offer high-quality, reliable CBD.
#1 Colorado Botanicals:Â Best All-Around & Highest Quality
After extensively considering each brand’s benefits and detractors, we determined that Colorado Botanicals offers the best products for the most reasonable prices. This brand offers similar product types to major competitors, but it enhances these products’ benefits by tapping into the hemp plant’s true potential.
Brand Credibility
Colorado Botanicals is a smaller brand, so we were initially skeptical regarding how this company would hold up against bigger competitors. Every aspect of the Colorado Botanicals brand, however, met our strict criteria for excellence.
Here are some of the highlights of Colorado Botanicals that convinced us of this brand’s credibility:
- Clean, simple website with excellent graphics
- Detailed product information and site content
- Highly detailed third-party testing reports
- Broad-spectrum, THC-free CBD products
- Extensive focus on the benefits of terpenes
Extraction & Purification Standards
Colorado Botanicals uses CO2 extraction to produce its broad-spectrum CBD oil products. Using an advanced distillation process that leaves terpenes intact while removing all traces of THC, Colorado Botanicals produces high-quality broad-spectrum distillate.
This distillate does not contain waxes, chlorophyll, or unnecessary lipids. It has a mild taste that is made even more pleasant by its high terpene content.
Type of CBD
All Colorado Botanicals products contain broad-spectrum CBD oil. In contrast with full-spectrum CBD oil, this type of purified and refined CBD is entirely THC-free, assuaging potential concerns regarding THC contamination in CBD products.
What’s most impressive about Colorado Botanicals products is their high terpene concentrations. Often overlooked in the CBD industry, terpenes are beneficial substances found in Cannabis sativa that each have unique properties.
Focus on Terpenes
It’s important to note that the terpenes found in Colorado Botanicals broad-spectrum CBD oil are not reintroduced into the finished product. Instead, they are the original terpenes present in the CBD-rich hemp flower that Colorado Botanicals cultivates.
Reintroduced terpenes can cause contamination issues, and they don’t provide the same effects as terpenes that are naturally present in CBD extract. We’re impressed that Colorado Botanicals knows the difference and only includes naturally occurring terpenes in its products.
About Terpenes
Why are terpenes so important? Scientists believe that terpenes may contribute to the entourage effect, which is a theorized form of Cannabis sativa synergy that may occur when cannabinoids and terpenes are used together.
Initially believed to primarily apply to interactions between cannabinoids, researchers have now recognized that terpenes may be just as essential to the activation of the entourage effect. CBD products that contain terpenes may be more effective or provide more benefits than products that do not.
Individual Effects of Terpenes
In addition to potentially contributing to the entourage effect, terpenes also have individual benefits. Found in many other plants aside from Cannabis sativa, terpenes have been studied for decades for their potential beneficial effects.
Here’s some information on common hemp terpenes and the potential benefits they might bring to the table:
- Beta-Caryophyllene – Beta-caryophyllene is one of the only terpenes that acts like a cannabinoid. It stimulates the nervous system’s CB2 receptors, which modulate inflammation. Unlike CB1 receptors, CB2 receptors do not cause intoxication. However, these neuroreceptors have dozens of potential beneficial effects aside from their observed impact on inflammation.
- Humulene – Like most terpenes, humulene has been studied for its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Humulene is also one of a few terpenes that have been researched for their potential antimicrobial benefits.
- Linalool – Along with humulene, linalool has been studied for its potential antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits. This terpene is found in lavender as well as hemp.
- Bisabolol – A rare terpene, bisabolol has been studied for its potential ability to reduce skin inflammation, and the antimicrobial potential of this terpene has also been researched.
Terpene Lab Tests
To give you an idea of just how seriously Colorado Botanicals takes terpenes, here are the results from one of this brand’s recent lab tests:
Since testing for terpenes is an added service, most CBD brands fail to determine the exact concentrations of terpenes present in their products. Colorado Botanicals, on the other hand, makes sure that their third-party lab tests contain detailed terpene information.
Price per Milligram of CBD
The price per milligram of CBD varies among Colorado Botanicals products. We’ll use this brand’s 1500mg CBD tincture as a baseline, however, since many brands produce similar tinctures.
This product presently costs $110, so the CBD in this tincture costs $0.073 per milligram. This price is standard within the industry, and Colorado Botanicals tinctures offer added value due to their terpene content.
Lab Reports
Colorado Botanicals lab reports are available in PDF form in a public Google Drive folder that is linked on each product page. They test their products and extracts at FESA Labs and ProVerde Laboratories. They provide detailed information on the cannabinoid, terpene, and contaminant concentrations present in each product.
Customer Support
In our experience, Colorado Botanicals offered excellent customer support. This brand provides a contact form, email address, and phone number you can use to get in touch with customer service.
A representative answered the phone immediately when we called. We received a response to an emailed inquiry on the same day.
Certifications
Colorado Botanicals has received ISO 9001:2015 certification for its production facility. This brand uses cGMP processes to produce its products.
Pros & Cons
Here are the highs and lows of this exemplary CBD brand:
Pros
- Broad-spectrum, THC-free CBD
- Terpene-rich CBD extract
- No reintroduced terpenes
- Reasonable price-per-milligram
- Detailed lab reports
- ISO 9001:2015 certification
- The best customer service we’ve come across in all the audits we did
Cons
- Smaller brand without many customer reviews
- Lab reports aren’t directly linked to product pages
- Products aren’t significantly more affordable than options offered by competitors
Visit Colorado Botanicals by clicking here.
#2 Medterra: Best By Reviews
With more than 5,000 customer reviews, Medterra is one of the nation’s most popular CBD oil brands. The quality of Medterra’s CBD was exceptional, and we did like the cannabinoid content of their oil. They did contain higher amounts of cannabinoids than usually seen in CBD products. However, they didn’t test for terpenes, which doesn’t clarify if their extracts contain the terpene contents like Colorado Botanicals.Â
When testing out their CBD oil, we did notice it to be one of the most effective ones from this list, hence why we ranked it number 2 out of 10.Â
Brand Credibility
Medterra is certainly one of the most credible CBD oil brands. This company’s site content is on-point, and Medterra provides plenty of information on each of the products it produces.
Extraction & Purification Standards
Medterra uses CO2 extraction to produce its products. Based on customer reviews and our own research, Medterra CBD is highly purified, and it doesn’t contain any waxes, excess lipids, or chlorophyll.
Type of CBD
Medterra used to offer full-spectrum CBD oil products. Nowadays, however, this brand only produces broad-spectrum CBD and CBD isolate products.
Price per Milligram of CBD
Medterra offers a 1000mg broad-spectrum CBD tincture for $59.99. As a result, this brand provides a CBD price-per-milligram of only $0.059, which is one of the lowest prices found in the industry.
Lab Reports
Third-party lab reports from Green Scientific Labs are easy to find on each Medterra product page. While these reports include results for dozens of solvents and pesticides, they do not include results for terpenes.
Unfortunately, it does not appear that Medterra takes the benefits of terpenes very seriously. This lamentable perspective is also clear to see in Medterra’s CBD isolate products, which don’t contain any terpenes whatsoever.
Customer Support
Medterra offers a live chat service. In our experience, however, customer service agents are rarely available for live chat. Instead, customers can contact Medterra by phone, email, or contact form.
Certifications
Medterra products are U.S. hemp authority-certified. However, this brand does not provide any information certifications it may have achieved for its production facilities.
Pros & Cons
Here are the most important benefits and detractors of Medterra:
Pros
- Affordable products
- Over 5,000 customer reviews
- Easily accessible lab reports
- Ultra Broad Spectrum CBD Oil has great cannabinoid profile
- Offers Immune Boost CBD Oil that holds other ingredients
Cons
- Benefits of terpenes are overlooked
- Somewhat cluttered product catalog
Visit Medterra by clicking here.
Full-spectrum CBD can be hit-and-miss, but some CBD users swear by the benefits of full-spectrum products. With more than 20,000 reviews, Nuleaf Naturals is the most popular provider of full-spectrum hemp products on the market, and we like the simplicity of this brand’s product lineup.
We noticed positive effects, and why it landed so high on the list despite the high cost it comes at.Â
Brand Credibility
Nuleaf Naturals is highly regarded, and this brand’s website is clean and simple. It’s hard not to feel like a brand has credibility when it has accumulated so many positive customer reviews.
Extraction & Purification Standards
Nuleaf uses CO2 to extract its CBD, further improving our impression of this brand. This brand uses a type of full-spectrum oil called winterized CBD, which is more raw than refined.
Type of CBD
Nuleaf Naturals products contain winterized full-spectrum CBD, which might appeal to some consumers since it’s so raw and unrefined. Winterized extract, however, contains waxes, chlorophyll, and other substances that might taste unpleasant or impair ingestion.
Price per Milligram of CBD
Nuleaf Naturals offers 1,800mg full-spectrum tinctures for $179. As a result, this brand’s CBD costs around $0.099 per milligram, one of the industry’s highest prices.
Lab Reports
Nuleaf’s lab reports are hard to find, and they aren’t product-specific. However, this brand’s third-party testing is provided by Botanacor, a reputable lab.
Customer Support
Nuleaf provides customer support via phone, email, and contact form. Our call was answered immediately since we called during business hours, but it took around 24 hours to receive a response to our email.
Certifications
Nuleaf Naturals doesn’t provide information regarding any certifications this brand might hold.
Pros & Cons
Here are what we considered to be the highs and lows of Nuleaf Naturals:
Pros
- Offers some of the best full-spectrum CBD on the market
- Over 20,000 satisfied customer reviews
- Simple, clean website, & very easy to use
- Been around for a long time and have built trust
Cons
- High CBD price per milligram
- They use Winterized CBD Extract so it isn’t purified like a distillate but winterized extracts do generally contain higher amounts of plant compounds which can be good and bad if not purified properly.
- Lab results are vague and hard to find
Visit Nuleaf Naturals by clicking here.
Bluebird Botanicals has been around since 2012, and this brand is still going strong. While the quality of the full-spectrum and CBD isolate products Bluebird Botanicals offers certainly seems satisfactory, we were more impressed by this brand’s prices.
If you’re looking for quality CBD for the price, this is probably the best option. In terms of effectiveness when compared to other brands, it is one of the best.Â
Brand Credibility
Any CBD brand that’s been around for more than eight years carries plenty of clout. While the Bluebird Botanicals website was relatively cluttered, it contained plenty of useful information, and this brand is highly transparent regarding where it sources its hemp and how it produces its products.
Extraction & Purification Standards
Bluebird Botanicals uses a mix of CO2 extraction and ethanol extraction. This brand then uses steam distillation to remove impurities from its extracts. It’s unclear why Bluebird also uses ethanol if this company also has access to CO2 extraction facilities.
Type of CBD
Most of the products Bluebird Botanicals offers include full-spectrum CBD. In contrast with Nuleaf, Bluebird uses distillation to remove impurities like chlorophyll from its CBD oil.
However, Bluebird leaves traces of THC behind in its extracts instead of choosing to produce broad-spectrum CBD. To boost its lineup with THC-free products, Bluebird also provides a few offerings that contain CBD isolate.
Price per Milligram of CBD
Bluebird’s Extra Strength Classic CBD Oil tincture contains 1500mg CBD, and it costs $99.95. As a result, this product’s price-per-milligram is $0.066, making Bluebird Botanicals CBD highly affordable.
Lab Reports
Instead of linking to lab reports on product pages, Bluebird provides them all on a single page, making it difficult to access the report you’re looking for. This brand breaks its third-party lab results into multiple sections, making the process a bit more confusing.
However, Bluebird tests for terpenes, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and a variety of other variables. Even though the reports may be difficult to access, this brand’s lab reports are among the industry’s most thorough.
Customer Support
We found Bluebird’s customer service team to be highly accessible and responsive. This brand provides a contact form, a phone number, and multiple email addresses.
Certifications
Bluebird Botanicals has received a number of certifications, including:
- B Corporation Certification
- Leaping Bunny Cruelty-Free Certification
- U.S. Hemp Authority Certification
- Glyphosate Residue Free Certification
It does not appear, however, that Bluebird’s production facilities have been ISO certified.
Pros & Cons
Here’s what we liked and disliked about Bluebird Botanicals
Pros
- An industry veteran with a great reputation
- Highly certified brand
- Detailed lab reports
- Quality products
Cons
- In THC-free products, CBD isolate is used instead of broad-spectrum CBD
- Lab reports are hard to find
- The website is somewhat cluttered
Visit Bluebird Botanicals by clicking here.
#5 cbdMD: Highest Concentration
cbdMD is known for its prominent partnerships with athletes and other celebrities. This brand’s products are so-so in terms of quality, but they’re offered for reasonable prices. cbdMD also offers the highest potency of CBD in a bottle with 7,500mg of CBD in a 30mL bottle.
The cbdMD website is remarkably well-built, and this brand produces informative content.Â
Brand Credibility
cbdMD operates one of the best CBD eCommerce websites we’ve seen. This brand’s site loads quickly, and it’s full of informative content.
Extraction & Purification Standards
cbdMD uses CO2 extraction to produce its crude hemp extracts. While cbdMD doesn’t provide any information directly stating how it refines its extracts, we assume that this brand uses steam distillation.
Type of CBD
cbdMD products contain broad-spectrum CBD extract, though it’s hard to discover this fact without considerable research. This brand sources its hemp from farms located in the United States.
Price per Milligram of CBD
cbdMD offers a 1500mg tincture for $99.99. As a result, this product has a price-per-milligram of $0.067, which is relatively standard within the industry.
Lab Reports
We were very impressed with the procedure cbdMD uses to provide lab reports to consumers. First of all, this brand’s lab reports are conducted by SC Laboratories, one of the nation’s most respected independent labs.
There’s a huge, highlighted button on every product page that you can use to load cbdMD’s lab reports. These reports appear as a popup window, and there are buttons you can use to either download or print the lab report for a particular product.
cbdMD’s lab reports are remarkably detailed, but they reveal that this brand’s products don’t contain considerable concentrations of terpenes. We wish that cbdMD provided lab report archives, not just the results of the latest test.
Customer Support
cbdMD customer support is reachable by live chat, email, contact form, and phone. We found cbdMD’s email support agents to be responsive and helpful.
Certifications
In 2020, cbdMD received NSF International Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) registration. This certification confirms that cbdMD’s production facilities adhere to the latest cGMP standards. cbdMD is also a member of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable.
Pros & Cons
Here’s a brief summary of the highs and lows of cbdMD:
Pros
- Big, professional brand with a well-designed website
- Reasonably priced products
- Excellent, informative lab reports
- Wide variety of products to choose from
Cons
- We didn’t find the pet products to be effective as other pet products we’ve reviewed in the past
Honorable Mentions: Other Great CBD Brands
We’ve already covered the five best CBD oil companies of 2021. There are other CBD oil brands, however, that deserve mention before we wrap up:
The founders of Cornbread Hemp saw an abundance of low-quality products on the market and wanted to be the ones to do better. As Kentucky natives, they were well aware of the ideal growing conditions present in their backyard, and built the brand from home with local farmers and high-quality extraction methods. The result is this beloved brand offering a solid range of high-quality products that are accessible to everyone.
Brand CredibilityÂ
As a relative new-comer to the industry, Cornbread Hemp has already begun making an impressive mark with the brand. They have overwhelmingly positive reviews on their products, but they also have a clean and thorough website, where you can both buy the brand or learn more about CBD. If you’re new to using CBD, make sure to check out their helpful Dosage Guide.
Extraction & Purification Standards
It may be hard to find at first, but Cornbread CBD promises they use only the Organic Sugarcane Ethanol CBD Extraction. This method relies on sugarcane-sourced ethanol, creating a fully organic, and adds a touch of sweetness to the end result without sacrificing potency.
Type of CBD
Their expertise on the subject runs deep into the power of the plant. Cornbread CBD shows a “flower-only†approach. This means they don’t bother with extraction from seeds and stalks, but pull from the most potent part of the plant: the budding flower.
From this, they extract all the goodness there is, creating strictly full-spectrum CBD oil, without any unpleasant chlorophyll tastes.
Price per Milligram of CBD
The whole-flower formula comes out around $0.07 per mg. It’s not the cheapest option there is, but with all things considered it is certainly fair and affordable.
Lab Reports
Cornbread Hemp takes the guesswork out of lab results. Their lab results are posted on their website, separated down to the batch, so consumers can easily access reports associated with their individual product.
In these results you’ll get to see just how meticulous they are about excluding contaminants and synthetic fertilizers from their crops. However, their lab reports show a lack of CBDa in their products. This means they fully decarboxylate their extract for maximum CBD.
Customer Support
An awesome customer support portal, which gives an “away message†letting you know when they intend to be back, as well as a log of recent conversations and an order status (and order history) update. You can choose to leave a message there, but they also give you a direct number to call during business hours and the support email address.
Certifications
Cornbread Hemp is Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. They’re also part of a rich hemp-growing culture at home in Kentucky.
Kentucky had all the ideal growing conditions for hemp. It gets nutritious soil and
It’s not just in the soil, but from the sun, as well. Kentucky sits on the “37th parallel–the same latitude as the Hindu Kush Mountains,†making for ideal hemp and marijuana growing conditions–just as their forefathers had.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Full spectrum product from whole-flower extract and distillate to choose from
- Easily accessible and very clear lab reports
- A worthy American-based cause and company to support
- Fair price per milligram
Cons:
- Unable to avoid THC in this full-spectrum formula
- Only has 25mg and 50mg per serving tinctures
Visit Cornbread Hemp by clicking here.Â
If Spruce CBD’s products weren’t so expensive, this brand might have landed somewhere higher in our list. As it stands, however, Spruce sells some of the priciest CBD products in the industry, and it isn’t entirely clear what added value this brand offers to justify its price tags.
When testing out the products, we did notice them to be effective which is why it landed on this list.
Brand Credibility
Spruce CBD’s website is remarkably attractive and well-designed. This brand responded quickly to our inquiries, and Spruce’s website loaded almost instantly.
Addressing the fact that its products are pricier than the norm, Spruce CBD states that it uses higher concentrations of CBD, however, this brand’s price-per-milligram calculations don’t quite match the claim.
Extraction & Purification Standards
Spruce apparently uses a “moonshine†extraction method to make its CBD extracts. We assume that this is some form of ethanol extraction.
In explaining why it doesn’t use CO2, Spruce CBD claims that the benefits of CO2 extraction are “pure marketing speak.â€
Type of CBD
Spruce CBD products contain full-spectrum CBD extract. It appears that this brand’s extract is winterized crude, not distillate.
Price per Milligram of CBD
Spruce CBD offers two CBD tinctures. One contains 750mg CBD for $89, and the other contains 2,400mg CBD for $269.
Each milligram of CBD in Spruce’s 750mg tincture costs around $0.12. This brand’s 2,400mg tincture has a price-per-milligram of $0.11, which is only $0.01 less.
Almost every other brand on the market offers significant discounts for its higher-concentration tinctures.Â
Lab Reports
Spruce’s lab reports are not available on this brand’s product pages. We were also unable to locate this brand’s reports from the Spruce CBD homepage.
Instead, we had to search for them using Google. This brand provides relatively recent results from reputable analytics labs like CannaBusiness Labs, ACS, and ProVerde.
Customer Support
Spruce CBD customer support can be reached by phone and contact form. This brand got back to us relatively quickly.
Certifications
There is no information suggesting that Spruce CBD has received any notable certifications.
Pros & Cons
Here are the top pros and cons of Spruce CBD:
Pros
- Attractive, simple website
- Uncluttered, small line of products
- Responsive customer service
Cons
- Overpriced products compared to the CBD market
- Inadequate explanations provided for product pricing and extraction methods
Visit Spruce by clicking here.
We’ve been fans of CBDistillery ever since this brand only offered CBD isolate. Some things about CBDistillery have certainly improved over the years.
In terms of the quality and effectiveness of their oil, we found it effective but not quite enough to be at the top of this list, However, it is a great company to consider purchasing and trying.Â
Brand Credibility
In our opinion, CBDistillery is a credible company and is well-known in the CBD industry. One thing we noticed is that their lab reports were not easily accessible – they promote third-party testing as a priority.Â
At the same time, CBDistillery’s website is remarkably responsive and well-designed, and it’s populated with elegant, convincing content. CBDistillery is certainly one of the nation’s biggest CBD companies, which has forced this brand to be reasonably accountable.
Extraction & Purification Standards
CBDistillery uses CO2 extraction to produce its crude CBD extracts. Then, this brand uses steam distillation to produce high-purity isolates and distillates.
Type of CBD
CBDistillery offers a wide selection of full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate CBD products. This brand’s catalog is well-rounded, but CBDistillery offers so many different products that it can be hard to zero in on an ideal formulation.
Price per Milligram of CBD
CBDistillery offers a 1000mg full-spectrum CBD tincture for $60. As a result, the price-per-milligram for this product is $0.06. Like most brands, CBDistillery progressively discounts its higher-dosage products.
Lab Reports
We were unable to find CBDistillery’s lab reports. While this brand claims its products are third-party lab tested, we couldn’t find them with a Google search.Â
Customer Support
CBDistillery offers a live chat, and this brand is also available by phone and contact form. We found CBDistillery’s customer support to be relatively engaging and responsive.
Certifications
We weren’t able to find any information on certifications that CBDistillery might possess.
Pros & Cons
Let’s summarize the high and low points of CBDistillery:
Pros
- Veteran brand that has expanded significantly
- Lots of product options
- Competitive price-per-milligram
- Great information easily accessible on their website for new CBD users who wouldn’t mind reading up on them
Cons
- You have to complete a “Money-Back Guarantee Form†in order to get a refundÂ
- Third-party lab reports were missing
Visit CBDistillery by clicking here.
There’s a lot we like about Lazarus Naturals. This brand exudes a down-to-earth, working-class mystique, and it features high-quality, organic products that appeal to sustainability-conscious consumers.
At the same time, Lazarus Naturals’ headlong focus on wholesale relationships has allowed this brand’s direct-to-consumer side of operations to suffer. The Lazarus Naturals website is relatively slow, and it’s hard to find pertinent information on this company’s products.
In terms of the quality of their CBD oil, we found it to be effective. They also have many long time loyal customers, which explains a lot.
Brand Credibility
As a major CBD brand, Lazarus Naturals can’t help but be reasonably credible. Most of this brand’s products have a few dozen reviews, and the content featured on lazarusnaturals.com is convincing. We wish that Lazarus would make its product catalog more accessible to consumers.
Extraction & Purification Standards
Lazarus Naturals uses ethanol to produce its crude CBD extract, which is a low-cost option that many brands opt for. From there, this brand uses steam distillation to remove residual solvents, chlorophyll, and other undesirable substances.
Ethanol extraction is inferior to CO2 extraction.
Type of CBD
Lazarus Naturals offers a wide range of full-spectrum and CBD isolate products. The fact that this company does not offer any broad-spectrum CBD products casts doubt on the thoroughness of its extract purification process.
With modern distillation methods, it’s relatively easy to make broad-spectrum CBD. It’s possible that Lazarus is using an outdated form of distillation that might offer decreased product purity.
Price per Milligram of CBD
Lazarus Naturals offers a 15ml, 750mg CBD isolate tincture for only $24. This brand is kind enough to provide the price-per-milligram for this product directly on its product page: $0.032.
That’s one of the lowest, if not the lowest price-per-milligram we’ve ever seen. Rather than inspiring confidence, this rock-bottom price makes us wonder what Lazarus naturals is sacrificing to keep costs so low.
Lab Reports
Third-party lab reports for Lazarus Naturals products are easy to find on every product page. This brand’s lab reports are provided by Columbia Laboratories, a little-known Portland, OR, analytics lab.
Customer Support
Lazarus Naturals is easy to reach by phone or email. We found this brand’s customer service agents to be responsive and helpful.
Certifications
Lazarus Naturals recently upgraded to a 40,000 square foot production facility in Portland. This brand’s new facility is cGMP-certified.
Lazarus Naturals products are also certified kosher. This is a step that other brands usually choose not to take even though almost all CBD products are inherently kosher.
Pros & Cons
Here’s a brief summary of the best and worst aspects of Lazarus Naturals:
Pros
- Focus on sustainability and organic ingredients
- Lab tests are third-party, recent, and easy to find
- Price-per-milligram is very low
Con
- Website is relatively cluttered and difficult to navigate
- Indirect evidence suggests that purification methods may be sub-par
Visit Lazarus Naturals by clicking here.
Charlotte’s Web rose to fame as one of the first CBD companies to directly target childhood epilepsy. Launched in 2011 as one of the earliest CBD brands, they became popular after helping a little girl named Charlotte Figi. She suffered from Dravet Syndrome, which is a rare form of epilepsy.Â
Her first seizure occurred when she was just three months old, which was said to have lasted a full 30 minutes. As she grew older, it worsened with multiple seizures per day and doctors told the parents there was nothing they can do.Â
Or was there? When the family became introduced to cannabis and CBD, Charlotte’s Web owners, the Stanley brothers, who owned a cannabis dispensary, began supplying products to their family.
Charlotte Figi, who suffered from life-threatening seizures, saw considerable changes in her body as she continued to use the cannabis extract oil that the Stanley Brothers produced. Soon after seeing the positive impact it had on her life, the brothers decided to change the name to Charlotte’s Web in honor of her.
As CBD regulations have evolved, Charlotte’s Web has pivoted to offer a wide range of general-purpose CBD products.
In terms of their CBD oil and products’ quality, we didn’t find it as effective as the other brands listed here. They have a vast customer base and long-time customers but we think that their customers will move over to other brands if they don’t improve their extracts’ quality.Â
Their CBD gummies did taste amazing, and we’re one of the more effective CBD gummies we’ve tried. If you’re looking for good quality sleep gummies with melatonin, then we would highly recommend giving theirs a try.Â
Brand Credibility
At a glance, Charlotte’s Web website is well-built and content rich. Charlotte’s Web bills itself as “the world’s most trusted hemp extract,†but it’s unclear whether this brand is also the world’s most trustworthy CBD producer.
Extraction & Purification Standards
Charlotte’s Web uses a combination of CO2 and isopropyl alcohol extraction techniques. It’s unclear why this brand doesn’t simply stick to CO2 extraction, which is cleaner and more reliable.
Type of CBD
Charlotte’s Web products include full-spectrum CBD extract. This brand doesn’t provide any information regarding whether its extracts are distilled or crude.
Price per Milligram of CBD
Charlotte’s Web uses creative measurements that make it relatively difficult to determine how much CBD is contained in each bottle of this brand’s tincture. However, after running some calculations, we’ve determined that Charlotte’s Web offers an 1800mg tincture for $119.99, which is priced fairly.
As a result, this product offers a price-per-milligram of $0.067. This price is standard.
Lab Reports
Charlotte’s Web makes itdifficult to access lab reports for its products. You have to input the lot number for your product, which is only available on the product’s outer packaging. If you’re trying to look at their lab reports to help determine if you want to purchase over another brand, you won’t be able to.Â
Furthermore, Charlotte’s Web does its own in-house lab testing. Charlotte’s Web is the only major CBD brand we’re aware of that breaks from conventional testing in this way.
Customer Support
Charlotte’s Web customer service was reasonably responsive. You can contact this brand via live chat, contact form, or phone.
Certifications
Charlotte’s Web is a certified B Corporation.
Pros & Cons
Let’s summarize the best and worst aspects of Charlotte’s Web:
Pros
- Reasonably priced products
- Certified B Corp
- Wide variety of products to choose from including Sleep Gummies, Recovery Gummies, & Calm Gummies.
- Sleep gummies we’re very effective
Cons
- No third-party lab reports, and lab reports are very difficult to access
- Mixture of isopropyl alcohol and CO2 extraction methods
- Long shipping times
Visit Charlotte’s Web by clicking here.
How Our Experts Chose the Best CBD Oil Brands of 2021
Toward the start of our guide, we provided some basic information on how we chose the criteria we used to grade each of the brands we examined. Then, with each brand review, we provided more detail on what made particular brands stand out and receive high grades.
We need to go into a little more detail, though, regarding how we came across and ended up choosing the winners in our list. Let’s examine the various methods that our experts used to find out which CBD oil brands offer the best products in the industry:
Customer Reviews
We’ve seen hemp companies brag that they offer the best CBD in existence. We’ve come across almost ludicrously arrogant marketing material and claims that couldn’t possibly be true.
That’s how we learned that sometimes, you need to take a look at reviews from actual customers to determine the quality of a CBD product. We’ll be honest, however, not even customer reviews are perfect.
Selective Reviewing
Unlike eCommerce giants like Amazon and Walmart, which are managed by third parties, CBD brands operate their own eCommerce websites. As a result, they’re able to remove reviews they don’t like.
Therefore, it’s usually impossible to see the most scathing remarks dissatisfied customers have made about CBD oil brands. It’s still worth it to look at reviews, however, to observe a few critical factors:
- The overall number of reviews a CBD product has received
- Common themes listed in reviews
- How reviews compare between brands
Expert Testimony
We’ve developed considerable in-house expertise when it comes to vetting CBD brands. At the same time, we know enough to know that we don’t know everything, which is why we used outside sources to back up some of our research.
To select the best CBD oils on the market today, we consulted with veteran consumers, popular CBD reviewers, and medical doctors. In some cases, we also took what brands had to say about themselves into account.
Original Research
We primarily determined which brands were worth our time by relying on our own research. Having determined a few essential criteria that separate good CBD products from bad, we did original research, and later parsed out our results into the more detailed criteria we’ve listed with each brand we reviewed.
Website Experience
You can learn a lot about a CBD brand within the first three seconds of navigating to its website. These days, there’s no excuse for a website to take longer than three seconds to load.
If a CBD website took longer than three seconds to load fully, we moved on. Any brand worth our time proved itself capable of investing enough capital in web design to produce a fast-loading website.
- Clutter – If a CBD website was cluttered, visually confusing, or looked like it had been designed in 2004, we moved on immediately.
- Content – A few spelling or grammatical errors here or there are to be expected. CBD entrepreneurs usually aren’t professional writers, after all. If the content on a website was offensively bad, however, or if it contained blatant claims (CBD cures ALL cancer!!!), we knew we weren’t dealing with a reputable company.
- Mobile-Responsiveness – Wow, this website looks great! Now, load it on your mobile device.
If elements overlap, it’s hard to find the menu, or images are too big, that site that looked so beautiful on a desktop isn’t properly mobile-responsive. Considering the fact that nearly 54% of eCommerce sales are expected to be completed on mobile devices in 2021, mobile optimization is no longer optional.
Brand Responsiveness
We already talked about each brand’s customer support in our reviews. Brand responsiveness, however, is slightly more complex than simply how quickly a brand responds to emails.
- How developed is this brand’s social media presence?
- How easy is it to contact that brand?
- Does this brand offer its email, or just a contact form?
These are examples of the questions we asked to determine each brand’s overall responsiveness.
Transparency
CBD companies have learned that they have to provide test results and other detailed product information if they want to succeed. How easy they make it to find this information, however, is up to each brand.
We preferred companies that went out of their way to provide as much information as possible on their products and processes. We avoided companies that made you work to learn what you needed to learn about their products’ quality and reliability.
Value
Value is more complex than simply how much each mg of CBD in your tincture costs. If a brand offers a cheap product, for instance, but makes customer service and returns impossible, for instance, it doesn’t actually provide high value.
This was perhaps the most important factor we considered as we assembled the 10 best CBD oils in this list. By evaluating dozens of different variables, we did our best to select the best overall value companies.
What You Should Know About CBD in 2021
Even though you’re now familiar with the 10 best CBD oil companies on the market, there’s still so much to learn about this non-intoxicating cannabinoid and what it has to offer. In this guide, we’ll provide more information on what CBD does and how to use CBD for a wide range of purposes.
What is CBD?
CBD is short for cannabidiol and is the most abundant active compound found in hemp, while THC is the most in marijuana.Â
CBD is just one of the 100+ cannabinoids found in hemp and marijuana. Other cannabinoids found in small amounts are Cannabigerol (CBG), Cannabinol (CBN), and Cannabichromene (CBC) to name a few that are similar to CBD but act on different receptors.
Here are some quick facts about CBD:
- Isolated in 1940 but identified in 1963.
- Safe and non-addictive substance.
- It does not produce a “high†like Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).Â
- CBD can cause side effects such as dry mouth, diarrhea, reduced appetite, drowsiness, and fatigue.
- CBD works by interacting with multiple receptors in our body that produces different effects.
- CBD can interact with other medications when taken together since it gets broken down by the CYP450 enzyme that many prescription medications do.
How Does CBD Work?
According to a recent op-ed published in Cannabis Science and Technology, CBD may interact with your body in more than 20 distinct ways. However, scientists have recognized that the most important effects of CBD take place at two specific neuroreceptors.
For instance, researchers have closely researched the activity of CBD at the 5-HT1A receptor, which is the body’s most abundant serotonin receptor. Serotonin is responsible for dozens of critical bodily processes ranging from metabolism to mood regulation.
Scientists have also studied the effects of CBD at the TRPV1 receptor, which is involved in pain, inflammation, and epilepsy. CBD appears to exert the majority of its effects via these two biochemical interactions.
Does CBD Get You High?
CBD does not stimulate the CB1 receptor, which is the component of the endocannabinoid system that causes THC to make you feel high. Instead, CBD acts as an inverse agonist at this receptor, making it harder for your CB1 receptors to bind with THC.
As a result, CBD does not make you feel high. On the contrary, this cannabinoid usually produces a mild, non-intoxicating sense of relaxation.
Does CBD Have Side Effects?
The latest research on this subject, dating to 2019, indicates that CBD does not have any significant side effects. This cannabinoid is also remarkably non-toxic.
A few years ago, reports circulated that CBD causes liver damage. The study responsible for these reports was proven faulty, and its results have never been replicated.
Benefits of CBD
Scientists have researched the potential benefits of CBD for a wide range of diseases and conditions. Here are some examples:
Research into CBD for pain & inflammation
Both the 5-HT1A and TRPV1 receptors are involved in the sensation of pain. This year, researchers published a new study regarding the potential analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of CBD, and efforts are ongoing to determine the exact analgesic potential of this non-intoxicating cannabinoid.
Research into CBD for depression & anxiety
Both depression and anxiety are largely modulated by the 5-HT1A receptor. In 2015, researchers took a deep dive into the potential antidepressant and anxiolytic properties of CBD, and research into this potential application of CBD is ongoing.
Research into CBD for sleep
Scientists are curious if the benefits of CBD may help you get to sleep at night. In 2019, for instance, a clinical study was conducted to determine the potential connection between CBD, anxiety, and sleep.
Research into CBD for cardiovascular health
Most types of cardiovascular disease are caused by either oxidative stress or inflammation. As a result, scientists have looked into the potential connections between CBD and cardiovascular health. While inconclusive at present, research into the potential cardiovascular benefits of CBD is ongoing.
Types of CBD Products
There are a few different ways to take CBD, and each ingestion method affects your body differently. Familiarize yourself with the four most common ways to use CBD:
Orally ingested CBD
CBD products that you chew up or swallow are considered orally ingested. Examples of orally ingested CBD products include capsules and gummies. While these CBD products are convenient and offer long-lasting effects, they have reasonably low bioavailability.
Sublingually ingested CBD
Because you hold CBD tinctures under your tongue before swallowing, these CBD products are considered sublingually ingested. Like orally ingested CBD, CBD tinctures end up in your digestive tract, but they have a chance to absorb through the thin membrane under your tongue before they enter your gut.
Topically applied CBD
Any CBD product you put on your skin is a topically applied CBD product. Types of topically applied CBD oil products include salves, lotions, and creams, and these products provide benefits in the area where they are applied.
Inhaled CBD
CBD flower and CBD vape cartridges are examples of inhaled CBD oil products. These products offer fast-acting, intense effects, but their benefits don’t last as long. Additionally, you should always exercise caution when allowing substances into your lungs.
How Much CBD Should I Take?
At present, there are no official guidelines regarding how much CBD you should take. Since this cannabinoid is non-toxic, non-intoxicating, and non-addictive, however, feel free to experiment as you determine which CBD dose is right for you.
As a general rule, you should start with a small CBD dose and increase the amount you consume as needed. Keep in mind that, since orally ingested CBD has low bioavailability, you might want to ingest more CBD per session if you use CBD capsules or edibles.
A good CBD dose to start with is 10mg to 20mg for the first 3 to 5 days to test your tolerance levels.
If you don’t feel noticeable effects from that dosage, increase your dose by 5mg to 10mg of CBD every 2 to 3 days to find your optimal dosage.
You may also start with higher doses, which is fine, but it’s essential to know that you may not notice the same effects after a couple of days or sometime after taking high doses. That’s just because you built a tolerance for CBD, and you should take a 3-5 day break from taking any CBD to reset your tolerance levels.
CBD FAQ for 2021 & Beyond
Let’s wrap up with some answers to common CBD questions:
1. Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum, or CBD Isolate?
What is Full Spectrum CBD Oil?Â
Full Spectrum is a term used to describe a CBD hemp extract that contains a combination of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other plant oils that are extracted out of hemp. A key feature of Full Spectrum extracts, other than that it contains other compounds than just CBD, holds up to 0.3% THC per gram (1,000mg) of extract.
What is Broad Spectrum CBD Oil?
A Broad Spectrum extract is very similar to Full Spectrum, except they separate the THC using a chromatography system making it THC-Free. This type of product will show no detectable THC levels, and it’s so low that even at very high doses, it won’t cause any psychoactive effects.Â
What is CBD Isolate?
CBD Isolate is a white crystalline powder form of CBD that is usually 99.8% to 99.9% pure CBD. This type of CBD extract doesn’t contain any other cannabinoids, terpenes, or plant compounds. The purity might look appealing, but without other plant compounds, it can’t produce the Entourage Effect’s synergistic effect, so we recommend Full Spectrum or Broad Spectrum.
2. Which Type of CBD Extract is Best?
Without a doubt, buy Full Spectrum or Broad Spectrum CBD products. Why? These extracts contain other beneficial compounds like those mentioned above that synergically work together to interact with even more receptors than CBD can, producing an “entourage effect.â€Â
3. What is the Entourage Effect?
Entourage Effect, or Whole Plant Extract, is the term used to describe multiple plant compounds working together synergistically. This synergistic effect increases multiple receptor channels’ activity to enhance the benefits of cannabis or CBD oil.Â
4. Why are terpenes in CBD important?
Terpenes are compounds found in many plants, including hemp. They are created to provide an aroma for plants and to protect plants from threats such as microorganisms, pathogens, predators, and herbivores, to name a few.Â
Terpenes go back to 1998 when Professors Raphael Mechoulam and Shimon Ben-Shabat found that the endocannabinoid system demonstrated an “entourage effect†when they noticed the activity of receptors had noticeably increased versus an isolated cannabinoid.
Besides that, terpenes have a wide range of benefits such as analgesic and/or anti-inflammatory, mood-enhancing, and modulating CBD effects by producing synergy with cannabinoids.Â
Here are four terpenes we touched upon above:
- Beta-Caryophyllene – Beta-caryophyllene is one of the only terpenes that acts as a cannabinoid. It stimulates the nervous system’s CB2 receptors, which modulate inflammation. Unlike CB1 receptors, CB2 receptors do not cause intoxication. However, these neuroreceptors have dozens of potential beneficial effects aside from their observed impact on inflammation.
- Humulene – Like most terpenes, humulene has been studied for its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Humulene is also one of a few terpenes that have been researched for their potential antimicrobial benefits.
- Linalool – Along with humulene, linalool has been studied for its potential antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits. This terpene is found in lavender as well as hemp.
- Bisabolol – A rare terpene, bisabolol, has been studied for its potential ability to reduce skin inflammation, and the antimicrobial potential of this terpene has also been researched.
There are noticeable differences in effects between CBD products with extracts containing terpenes versus CBD products without terpenes. Colorado Botanicals was the only company that showed a terpene profile test from a third-party lab while the other companies didn’t.
5. Why is CO2 extraction better for CBD?
Many hemp extraction processes leave residual solvents behind that can be passed along to the purified extract. CO2, however, is a harmless natural substance, so CO2 extraction doesn’t result in residual solvent contamination.
6. Does CBD Oil Show Up on a Drug Test?
Although the chances are low, yes, CBD oil can show up on a drug test if you use Full Spectrum CBD oil every single day or often. The reason why is because CBD oil can contain up to 0.3% THC.
If you’re worried about THC showing up on a drug test from taking CBD oil, you should purchase Broad Spectrum CBD oil as they are THC-Free. Colorado Botanicals, which earned our #1 spot for the best CBD company of 2021, manufactures Broad Spectrum CBD oil, which we believe is probably one of the best we’ve come across.Â
7. What part of the hemp plant does CBD come from?
CBD, or generally all cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, are found in the buds, flowers, and leaves of hemp plants but are usually most concentrated in the flowers.
8. Is hemp seed oil the same thing as CBD oil?
No, hemp oil is not the same as CBD oil and if you’re looking to purchase CBD oil and come across “hemp oil†online, on Amazon, or in a store, then make sure to read the label.Â
If you read the label and don’t see any acknowledgment of “Cannabidiol†or “CBD,†then it’s not CBD oil.Â
Although CBD oil is technically hemp oil, it’s mainly used to define hemp seed oil, which is entirely different from CBD oil even though they are from the same plant.
Hemp seed oil is from hemp seeds where they are cold-pressed for oil production, which is used in cooking, beauty products, or a nutritional supplement as it contains nutrients, fatty acids, and protein.Â
On the other hand, CBD oil is extracted from the flower and buds of hemp, usually using CO2 or Ethanol to pull out the beneficial compounds found in CBD products.Â
This oil includes CBD, minor traces of other cannabinoids such as CBG and CBN, along with terpenes and flavonoids.
9. Why is MCT oil sometimes used in CBD oil?
The reason why MCT oil is widely used in CBD products is because of several reasons, such as:
- CBD hemp extract at room temperature crystallizes, which is a natural chemical process, so mixing it with a fatty oil, such as MCT oil, it keeps the hemp extract in liquid form.
- You might come across other CBD tinctures with hemp seed oil or olive oil as the substitute oil, and it’s for this specific reason.
- Evenly distributes the CBD hemp extract oil in a tincture by using MCT oil, allowing a consumer to simply fill the dropper to their desired CBD dosage.
- MCT oil is tasteless.
- MCT oil is a rich source of fatty acids that has health benefits.
10. Can CBD oil be USDA-certified organic?
Many brands cultivate organic hemp without seeking certification. However, according to leading hemp legal scholars, it is technically possible to achieve USDA-certified organic status for CBD products.
11. Can CBD Oil Expire?
Yes, CBD oil does expire and usually lasts for 12 to 18 months until it goes bad. Purchasing quality CBD products from reputable CBD brands, like the best CBD companies recommended above, is critical to avoiding products that degrade in quality sooner than they should.
How to preserve and extend the life of CBD oil and CBD products?
- Store the products away from being under sunlight as it can burn off the cannabinoids, especially the lighter compounds, terpenes, and flavonoids.Â
- Keep them away from hot places such as a stove or oven as high heat can cause the compounds to degrade like mentioned above.Â
- Make sure to keep the products sealed in air-tight containers that preserve CBD oil and keep it fresh for extended periods.
- Store your CBD oil in cool places and not in places like your car or outside where it can get really hot.
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The reviews and statements published here are those of the sponsor and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or views of Observer.
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