5 Reasons You Shouldn't Buy CBD or Hemp Oil on Amazon
Amazon is convenient for many things. CBD oil is not one of them. In fact, CBD oil is outlawed by this big market retailer. However, you can find almost a thousand results pop up when you search for CBD oil in the Amazon engine. Don't fall for the ease of one-click Amazon shopping. Here are some reasons why you shouldn't buy CBD on Amazon.
1. CBD Is Not Allowed on Amazon
While CBD oil is legal across the United States, it's not allowed in Amazon shops. However, their marketplace sells over 500 million items.
It's become abundantly clear that Amazon is having trouble policing all of these products. They block over 3 billion bad listings annually!
As a result, many CBD items are slipping through the cracks. Crafty merchants will imply that CBD oil is in their product by how they market the product on their labels.
You might see words like "premium hemp oil" or "high potency hemp oil." The merchants are getting around these bans because hemp seed oil products are legal on Amazon.
Hemp seed oil doesn't contain phytocannabinoids, including CBD. Yet, a recent Washington Post study found that 11 out of 13 brands on Amazon that implied CBD was in the formula actually had CBD in the formula.
2. The Packaging Could Be Incorrect
Some well-known cannabis edible manufacturers, like Lazarus Naturals, have changed their packages to omit CBD from the ingredients. While Lazarus Natural is a well-known cannabis brand, this discovery is alarming.
What if somebody was trying to purchase chocolates with hemp seed oil rather than CBD oil in them? Furthermore, if a key ingredient gets neglected, what else is being omitted?
For many of us, including readers on this website, getting surprise CBD could be a plus. However, there's also a chance you're not getting as much CBD as you anticipated.
Almost one-third of CBD products bought online don't contain the amount of CBD as the label suggests. It is important you only buy CBD oil from credible retailers who engage in third-party lab testing.
Independent labs can verify the quality and potency of CBD oil. Credible companies will display these reports online. Make sure you verify the phytocannabinoid content yourself before making any purchases.
Amazon products tend not to display these certifications. That's why it's better to buy for an actual CBD retailer.
3. The Hemp Might Not Be Organic
Amazon is an open market where retailers from all over the globe can sell their goods. While this practice can create an equal opportunity for all entrepreneurs, it also opens the door for merchants looking to make a quick buck.
Many retailers with cannabis products on Amazon use agricultural hemp outsourced from overseas. Typically, these plants trace back to Russia or China.
While Russia uses organic practices to grow hemp, China doesn't. However, many retailers see listing either country as their hemp origin as a conflict of interest for their American business sales.
They don't want potential customers to know their business is supporting these countries, indirectly or not, clean ingredients or not. So, they leave the hemp origins out.
As part of the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp in America, all agricultural hemp must be grown under organic practices. CBD oil is only as effective as the hemp it's derived from. Shopping for CBD oil with U.S.-hemp will ensure a purer product and can improve the benefits.
4. Support Small Businesses
Over 15,500 stores closed in 2020. This decline in businesses was already happening before the pandemic.
Consumers have been shifting to online shopping for decades. That only means there are plenty of credible CBD oil retailers out there. Don't keep supporting big market retailers with poor customer service and product regulation.
Small businesses have been hit even harder since the pandemic. Supporting Amazon only shuts down more of these struggling companies.
Whether you're buying CBD oil or purchasing a new pipe, consider supporting a small business. It can make the difference between a child getting dance lessons or a CEO visiting the moon.
5. You Can't Always Believe the Reviews
If you end up buying CBD oil on Amazon. Do your due diligence. Read the reviews, but with skeptical eyes.
Verified buyers hold a lot of credence in the perception of Amazon shoppers. After all, they tried the product and are offering their first-hand experience. Well, not exactly.
Many Amazon retailers will hire people to purchase their products through their Amazon account. Immediately, that person earns "verified buyer status."
Five-star reviews can be helpful, but they should also raise red flags. Take some of these accolades with a grain of salt.
You should start with the one-star reviews. However, they should also be taken with a grain of salt.
One-star reviewers tend to be jaded people who may have had delayed shipping or ordered the wrong thing themselves. These "buyers" might even be a competitor of the merchant.
When browsing one-star reviews, look for keywords like, "This isn't CBD oil," or "not what the package says." That's what matters most.
If you don't see those red flags, then make your way to the four and three-star reviews. These are the content people who are telling the truth about the product. Nobody is going to pay for a middle-of-the-line review.
Four-star reviewers enjoyed the product and usually have small criticisms. These are more constructive for the potential buyer. Weigh their pros and cons and make the decision for yourself.
In the end, you should support an actual CBD retailer. They have trained professionals who can talk to you about specific products. You will get better customer service and will probably enjoy your purchases more.
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[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/12/19/amazon-prohibits-cbd-sales-its-still-easy-buy-site/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5818782/
[3] https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2020/07/06/9274-stores-are-closing-in-2020--its-the-pandemic-and-high-debt--more-will-close