How to spot fake CBD oil
Summary: As cannabidiol becomes more popular, the danger of fake CBD products rises as well. Learn how to identify fake hemp products, and trust Secret Nature for genuine CBD and bonafide cannabis industry intel.
Cannabidiol products of all types are becoming increasingly popular around the world, and CBD tinctures, also known as CBD oils, remain one of the most popular product categories. Despite the wealth of options, however, finding quality hemp products is surprisingly tricky.
In some cases, CBD products you find online might be downright fake. True, these products are found more often on the black market, but even if your web-bought CBD isn't fake, it might contain heavy metals, xenoestrogens, or dangerous additives that defeat the purpose of promoting your health.
As in any industry, CBD manufacturers are beholden to public opinion. If consumers suddenly decided not to accept dangerous hemp products, the industry would shape up overnight. Now's the time to make your voice known, and there's no better way than voting with your dollar.
Support hemp companies that are doing the right thing, but understand that identifying bad actors can be harder than it seems. In this guide, you'll learn how to separate the wheat from the chaff and find quality hemp oil that will help your health dreams take flight.
Why is counterfeit CBD dangerous?
What you don't know can hurt you. We've all learned the hard way that even the food we eat might not be safe, and the organic movement has arrived at the cannabidiol market. Consumers around the world demand safe, pure, and sustainable CBD oil, and Secret Nature CBD nectar is 100% natural and organic.
Get to know some of the dangerous substances that might be lurking in sub-par CBD oil:
Additives
The world continues to look on in horror as people get seriously hurt by vaping-related activities. What most of the sensationalized headlines don't tell you, however, is that these cases almost inevitably stem from unnecessary additives in cannabis vape juice.
CBD oil is fine to vape on its own in its winterized, distilled, or isolate forms. The moment you mix this oil with other ingredients, however, you open yourself up to lipid pneumonia and the other conditions currently plaguing wayward vapers.
Even our Organic Hemp Flower Nectar isn't viable for vaping since it contains hemp seed oil, black seed oil, and a variety of other ingredients believed to be beneficial when ingested orally. If you try to vape these oils and plant extracts, however, you could harm your lungs. For vaping Secret Nature goodness, we recommend our CBD vape juice line.
Vitamin E acetate in CBD vape juice is only one additive you need to worry about. Plenty of companies add questionable ingredients like propylene glycol (PG), sweeteners, artificial ingredients, and artificial colorings to orally-ingested products, which could put you at risk. Even a cursory look through our (short!) tincture ingredients list, however, reveals that it's the Secret Nature way to only use natural, beneficial ingredients in our products.
Heavy metals
While this fact isn't widely known, hemp is one of the world's most notorious bioaccumulators. To grow hemp safely, it's necessary to operate in wholly closed conditions and use substrates that are free of any contaminants. All too often, however, CBD companies cut corners and use inferior hemp in their products, which could open you up to heavy metal exposure.
As hemp grows, it sucks nutrients up through its root system at an incredibly rapid pace. This fast metabolism allows Cannabis sativa to grow up big and strong, but it also means that this particular plant absorbs soil-borne toxins at a much quicker pace than other crops. By the time a cannabidiol-rich Cannabis sativa plant is fully-grown, there's no telling how contaminated it might be if it was grown in soil with heavy metals.
It's easy to avoid these contamination concerns by growing hemp in climate-controlled, indoor environments. You can even use different substrates to minimize the potential of heavy metal exposure, but remember that water purity becomes even more critical in hydroponic or aquaponic setups. Check out our lab reports to see proof that organic Secret Nature CBD oils are completely free from heavy metal contamination.
Other environmental toxins
The world has become a different place post-industrialization. New toxins flood our air and water supplies, and distressing industrial substances like xenoestrogens continue to exert unknown effects on human endocrinology and genetics. All the old players, such as RoundUp, are also still in use despite serious toxicity concerns, which makes it hard to tell if your hemp products are safe.
It's no guarantee, but CBD companies that follow organic, sustainable manufacturing processes are far more likely to prevent environmental contaminants from entering their products. In general, the organic agriculture movement is all about divesting from toxic cultivation processes and embracing equity and sustainability. CBD companies, like Secret Nature, that place a large emphasis on organic cultivation and ingredients are less likely to harbor hidden toxins in their products.
How to identify fake CBD brands
What does it take to catch a CBD oil fake red-handed? In the end, you'll need to use your instinct and discretion to find the brand that fits your style. People who have been in the industry for a while, however, are all aware of a few tell-tale signs that a cannabidiol company is up to no good:
Quality of writing
If a CBD company's website copy reads like it was outsourced from China or Bangladesh, you might be barking up the wrong tree. We all make mistakes from time to time, but repeated spelling errors, odd turns of phrase, or even intimidating or threatening language can all be signs that you're dealing with opportunist con men instead of genuine healers.
Customer reviews
How many reviews, on average, does each product on the company's site have? Most Secret Nature products have over ten verified customer reviews, and many of our products have far more than that.
Customer reviews give you information on products, but they also tell you something much more important. A reasonable number of verified, genuine product reviews indicate that a CBD company is doing the right things and reaching a wide audience.
Pricing
Fake CBD companies charge more because... why not? If you're already selling a fake product, why not hike the price as high as consumers are willing to pay while you're at it? If a CBD product you're looking at seems overpriced, it probably is.
Put it up against comparable products on the market, and see if it holds out. If there's a genuine reason that your cannabidiol product is expensive, it should have something that other products don't. The most expensive CBD tinctures, in fact, should be the absolute best, but that's not always the case. Trust your judgment!
Ease of checkout
Tired of slogging through five separate checkout screens to purchase your CBD products? A clunky, outdated checkout page can be a sign that a CBD company doesn't have its act together.
Maybe you'd be surprised to learn how many consumers give up on online transactions only due to complicated checkout pages, or maybe you're already one of these disenchanted CBD customers. Not to worry: Completing your order at secretnaturecbd.com is quick, intuitive, and frustration-free. Plus, we ship to all 50 states!
Counterfeit CBD oil FAQ
Let's wrap up a few loose ends before we conclude:
1 Can you buy real CBD oil on Amazon?
No, Amazon's policy still prevents the sale of CBD. Therefore, any "CBD" products you see on Amazon are actually hemp seed oil, an inert substance extracted from Cannabis sativa seeds with little to no CBD. Don't fall for it! Buy genuine, organic CBD from trustworthy retailers instead.
2 What do third-party CBD tests test for?
Independent, third-party testing is crucial for establishing the safety, potency, and purity of CBD oil. CBD is tested for pesticides, industrial chemicals, metals, and various other substances.
3 Can counterfeit CBD oil contain marijuana?
In some cases, yes. You're especially at risk of accidentally using THC if you buy "CBD vape cartridges" on the black market. Getting high, however, is only one of the things you need to worry about when you buy CBD that isn't tested or genuine. Remember that fake CBD vape carts also often contain dangerous additives and toxins.
100% natural, 100% genuine CBD with Secret Nature
The CBD industry is going through a lot of changes that will only accelerate throughout 2020. In general, bad actors are being put down, and good companies are being rewarded by the new shape of the CBD market. It still pays to be very careful, however, as you choose the CBD products you want to put into your body.
With so many different toxins and harmful substances that can accidentally wander their way into CBD products, the need for organic, lab-tested manufacturers becomes clear. Many companies only test for potency, but checking for industrial metals and other contaminants is just as important.
If you grow your hemp the right way and process it safely, however, dangerous contaminants will never find their way into cannabidiol products in the first place. Hemp isn't naturally a risky plant, but you need to treat it with great care to avoid contamination.
We go the extra mile at Secret Nature to provide CBD products that are sustainable, 100% organic, and completely ahead of their time. Instead of settling for the industry average, we decided to boost our quality past the conceivable limits. Sink into some organic Secret Nature Hemp Flower Nectar, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: Products offered at secretnaturecbd.com are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition.
