There are a lot of options when it comes to where you can purchase cannabidiol (CBD)-infused products in the United States. CBD suppliers include over-the-counter pharmacies, health food stores, online marketplaces, directly from manufacturers, and the shopping cart on a brand’s website.
While CBD was removed from the Controlled Substances Act in 2018 and the Farm Bill made hemp plants legal throughout the United States, the legality behind each CBD product still varies. CBD products with less than 0.3% THC that are hemp-derived are considered legal federally. Even the U.S. Postal Service recently confirmed legal CBD items can be shipped in the mail. But some states hold stricter laws on the books.
While these products are available for sale in a wide range of places, the only product approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a pediatric epilepsy drug called Epidiolex. The FDA is now hearing public comments on CBD in food, which is open until July 16, 2019.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second-most abundant cannabinoid in cannabis after THC, which gives marijuana its characteristic high. CBD doesn’t get users high, but when used alongside levels of THC, both cannabinoids enhance the therapeutic value of the plant. (Photo by Kimzy Nanney on Unsplash)
But what if you’re interested in using CBD oil? Where can you purchase it and where do you start? Here are some quick considerations before diving into where it is that you can purchase CBD oil:
What Is The Difference Between Hemp CBD Oil and Full Spectrum?
In order to understand where to buy CBD oil, it’s crucial to know the types of CBD oil consumers most often encounter in the purchasing process: broad-spectrum and full-spectrum.
When you see an item that contains full-spectrum CBD oil, sometimes abbreviated to FS on the label, it is referring to not filtering out or excluding any types of cannabinoids in the “whole-plant” extraction process. Full spectrum includes the plant’s original terpenes, the cannabinoid CBD, but also a plethora of non-intoxicating, lesser-known cannabinoids: cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), trace amounts of THC, and more.
Broad spectrum means, with respect to hemp-made products, that the CBD oil contains many of the cannabinoids from its original crude oil state, but that has been filtered in its extraction process to remove THC.
Experts argue the use of either a full-spectrum or broad-spectrum oil will make the CBD and its non-intoxicating cousin cannabinoids work better via the entourage effect.
Additionally, there are products made out of CBD isolate. Isolate is refined to remove all other compounds in cannabis except for the CBD, resulting in a white powder.
Make sure you understand the label and check lab tests to show the exact cannabinoids found in each product.
Should I Buy In-Store or Online?
If you’re looking to purchase CBD products from a hemp CBD oil store, you have several options of places to choose from. If you’re ordering ahead of when you need the CBD product, ordering online is often the most convenient option for consumers when time isn’t of the essence. If you are hoping to get a product in-hand as soon as possible, it is also nice to have the option of a storefront to purchase hemp-derived CBD. Dispensaries that sell THC products are not allowed to sell hemp-derived products, often including states where marijuana is legal. But the dispensary can sell marijuana-derived CBD products, just not hemp-derived ones.
Storefronts
Consumers may be able to find CBD products on major pharmacy shelves at many storefronts, depending on which state they live in. CBD is sold in some health food stores, such as Whole Foods and Lassens, “trendy” spots such as Urban Outfitters, and pharmacies including Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS in some states.
Willie’s Remedy is the hemp oil brand of singer Willie Nelson. (Photo courtesy of Willie’s Remedy)
Dispensaries that sell the cannabinoid THC or any cannabis-derived products are often not legally allowed to sell hemp-derived products.
Online Store
CBD oil is available for sale online, most commonly found on a specific brand’s website using an internal shopping cart or checkout. Many online check out processes work for CBD companies in the United States, but historically, some popular online checkout processors like PayPal and Stripe say CBD is a “restricted business”. More innovative processors like Square have stated they support vetted CBD companies and are happy to work as their payment platform.
The flexibility of an online store allows companies to control their price, shipping, processing fees, and discounts.
What To Expect
In the CBD storefront, you can expect to find someone working behind the counter who has knowledge of the CBD oil products the store sells. This retail associate might be similar to a budtender in a traditional dispensary as both positions will be responsible for answering any questions you may have.
When you order CBD online, you can expect delivery in a wide time frame, ranging from 3-5 business days to 2 weeks, depending on how far you live from the business. Most shipping fees are standard. If CBD oil companies are experiencing a very high demand of orders, your order can take longer to receive.
It’s helpful to read reviews left by customers and patients. Many consumers do not know how CBD will affect them until they experiment with certain doses and verified brands. Similar to THC, the dosing and CBD oil’s effects will depend on a consumers’ body weight, age, tolerance, and other various factors that make the experience unique for each user.
Where To Buy It — 5 Trusted CBD Brands
Below is a selection of brands that offer purchases through their websites.
Select CBD
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Select CBD’s product line is made from fractionated coconut oil. It combines hemp-derived CBD extract with essential oils, popular among consumers for its lauded ability to relieve stress and anxiety. The company also offers THC products in its cannabis-derived line, Select, which takes pride in organic farming practices on both.
Papa and Barkley
Papa and Barkley’s well-known CBD oil line is grown on Colorado hemp farms. With stylish and discreet packaging, its Hemp Drops formula is fast-metabolizing. The Papa and Barkley website explains its CBD oil maintains an “earthy flavor” following a full-spectrum, whole-plant extraction process. Its two ingredients are medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, which can be palm or coconut oil, and hemp extract.
CBDistillery
The CBDistillery is a trustworthy brand with a line of full-spectrum CBD oil offerings. Owned by Balanced Health Botanicals, a vertically integrated company from Colorado, CBDistillery is an accessible brand with an impressive production facility. BHB produces 5,000 kilograms, or 5 1/2 tons, of CBD per year using a carbon dioxide (CO2) extraction technique, and 20,000 kilograms, or 22 tons, of CBD isolate per year. You can find BHB’s products 1,500 stores nationwide.
Willie’s Remedy
WIllie’s Remedy is a trustworthy CBD oil source. The company is owned by Willie Nelson and takes the same amount of care in sourcing its CBD as it does sourcing cannabis for its popular weed line Willie’s Reserve. Annie Nelson, the creative mind behind the newly launched CBD line, happens to be Willie’s wife. CBD oil from Willie’s Remedy comes in 1,500 milligrams bottles.
Yuyo Botanics
One of the first legal hemp farms in Tennessee, based in the state capital of Nashville, the mom-and-pop company of Yuyo Botanics offers CBD oil tinctures and balms. Its line of tinctures come in a 300 milligram AM Formula, a 900 milligram PM Formula, and a Full Spectrum (FS) oil with coconut oil and CBD and CBG. According to Yuyo’s website, the FS formula will “taste just like plants straight out of the field.
