Understanding how to choose a CBD oil in Australia is essential due to the personal nature of this choice. Every CBD oil is different, and each person has a distinct need for it. With so many options, picking the right product to get the best results can be difficult.
When choosing CBD oil, consider several factors, including its strength, hemp plant source, extraction method, and lab-certified purity.
Rest assured, we’re here to help you choose CBD oil correctly. This in-depth guide will provide all you need to know.
Contents
Determine Your Aims with CBD Oil
Before choosing CBD oil, determine what you plan to use it for. Determining your desired outcome is vital to matching expectations with reality. Consider your personal health status and potential conditions. CBD oil isn’t helpful for everything but can be a holistic well-being aid for overall health.
However, most people in Australia prefer to take CBD oil as a natural remedy for a particular health condition. These conditions include arthritis, inflammation, anxiety, pain, or insomnia. Each person’s condition and severity will be unique. However, these health factors are significant inputs in CBD oil choice. Different product types work better for particular health goals.
Once you’ve considered this, check in with your local doctor. They can help assess whether CBD oil is the right choice for you. In many cases, it won’t be. Natural alternatives like exercise, particular supplements, or lifestyle changes often make a more considerable difference. But if you’re going to proceed, it may be worth trying.
For instance, if you are highly strung or stressed, you might choose a CBD oil with terpenes to help take the edge off. Terpenes improve CBD’s strength and relaxing effects. In those with arthritis or inflammation, CBD isolates are often effective. These deliver higher potencies of CBD to provide greater overall strength and purity. Research and decide on the best CBD oil match for your particular needs.
Which Type of CBD Oil Should I Choose?
When choosing CBD oil, it’s essential to understand the different types available in Australia. Three main categories of CBD oils exist. Each has characteristics that make it unique and better for specific health problems.
- Full-spectrum CBD oil: has the ‘full spectrum’ of compounds found in cannabis within it. Importantly, it is rich in terpenes, hemp’s aromatic compounds. A downside of this oil type is that it has small amounts of THC in it. This type of oil offers the “entourage effect” from terpene content. When CBD is consumed with terpenes, the two compounds amplify one another. This accentuates the potential anti-inflammatory and stress-alleviating properties of the final product.
- Broad-spectrum CBD oil: effectively the same as full-spectrum but removes all THC. It also contains less plant matter from hemp. Its 0% THC levels make it safer for many people.
- CBD isolate oil: is highly processed CBD oil that contains only high-strength cannabinoids and no other ingredients.
Choosing a Type of CBD
The main advantages of each type to consider are:
- If you want the maximum concentration of CBD to target a specific issue, then isolate oils with higher potency may be a better option for you. These also have the advantage and safety of containing no THC, making them the safest choice.
- Broad-spectrum CBD oil can be beneficial in providing heightened levels of CBG, CBN, or other minor cannabinoids for specific purposes. It also enables you to benefit from the entourage effect due to its terpene content while eliminating THC quantities.
- Full-spectrum CBD oil is excellent for beginners or those who want the combined powers of hemp’s anti-inflammatory nutrients. However, it can pose issues for those who can’t consume THC as it will contain trace quantities of this cannabinoid. People choosing CBD oil in Australia may want to avoid this formulation.
Broad-spectrum or isolates are advantageous on the safety front because they eliminate THC concentrations. Each option is excellent for those wanting a pure CBD experience without risks.
THC Risk Considerations
Picking the right CBD oil can be challenging. For beginners, full-spectrum CBD oil might be the right pick. Let’s take a look.
Best Option for Beginners
If trace amounts of THC aren’t a concern, opt for a full-spectrum CBD oil to begin with.
It’s suitable for beginners, as it offers the broadest range of potential benefits that CBD products can offer. In addition to terpenes, full-spectrum formulations contain many antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, and helpful fatty acids.
Isolated CBD oils remove each of these health-promoting compounds. Taking advantage of such potent and beneficial compounds for well-being is essential. If you’re a beginner, opt for full-spectrum formulations as a general well-being booster.
Experiment
While full-spectrum CBD oil is a good starting point for most, you don’t need to commit to it forever. It’s a good idea to try different CBD oils in Australia to see what works for you. So many types and varieties are on offer that you’re sure to find a specific offering that works excellently for you. Everyone has different experiences and responses to particular CBD products. Remember, you’ll unlikely find the best option on your first try.
Drug Testing and THC
Because full-spectrum CBD oil contains trace amounts of THC (usually less than 0.3%), it poses more risk for people who are screened for drugs in their system.
The reason for this is that even trace amounts of THC can show up on drug tests. THC can also accumulate in the body over time, which amplifies these risks. You might not be impaired at all or feel different, but you could still be at risk.
This can be a significant problem if you’re choosing a CBD oil in Australia. Roadside drug testing is regularly performed on drivers in the country. You can fail one of these tests due to consuming THC unknowingly in your full-spectrum product.
To avoid THC entirely, choose CBD isolate oil or broad-spectrum products. These contain no THC in them. Always avoid low-quality CBD oils. Many are inaccurately labelled and have much higher THC levels than advertised.
What to Look for in CBD Oil
Select products with the following characteristics when looking for CBD oil in Australia.
Extraction Method
How CBD oil is extracted matters concerning overall product quality. When it comes to obtaining CBD oil from hemp, CO2 extraction is best. It uses gases alone to pull CBD extract from hemp at high heat and pressure. Inert CO2 gas is generally applied as the extraction medium. The output is very pure, solvent-free oil with strong cannabinoid content.
Solvent-extracted CBD oil is more risky. It’s hard to clear out remaining solvents at the end of extraction, and harmful residues often remain in the end product. Ethanol and other solvents are toxic. Consuming them can be easily avoided by sticking to CO2-extracted CBD oil. CO2 extraction makes CBD products a bit more expensive, but the added price is worth it for safety.
CBD Strength
CBD concentration is another significant factor to incorporate into your choice of CBD oil. Each product will have a quantity of CBD measured in mg. It’s also often expressed as a percentage of the product’s total liquid concentration. For instance, a 3000mg CBD oil concentration is three times the strength of a 1000mg product.
Most people don’t need a lot of CBD, though, to get a great overall benefit. Many people need just a few drops a day, which equates to around 10-20mg. More isn’t always better when it comes to CBD. There is a dosage sweet spot where the maximum benefits are achieved. Consuming more than this ends up being a waste. High strengths or doses are generally only necessary for more severe health problems or high tolerance levels.
Hemp Source
Look for organic hemp-originating CBD oil when shopping. These should also be plants grown with no more than 0.3% THC, meaning they’re industrial hemp. The source of hemp used to create your CBD oil impacts quality substantially. Low-quality products from substandard hemp are often contaminated or have pesticides.
Organic hemp grown in pesticide-free farms will be of purer quality. It is often also stronger than non-organic hemp in CBD concentrations. Best of all, it doesn’t contain toxins. Seek out a certified organic label when choosing CBD oil in Australia. It makes all the difference in your overall experience and the health benefits you can achieve.
Certificate of Analysis
When picking a CBD oil, there’s an excellent way to verify its authenticity, strength and quality. It’s also the most objective method to ascertain these factors. This method obtains a third-party laboratory’s analysis of a particular product. It’s known more commonly as a ‘certificate of analysis‘ or COA. These analysis readings will contain an itemised list of cannabinoids and other CBD oil ingredients. It will provide high-accuracy measurements of the product’s strength and purity.
Each COA is objective because it’s not from the sellers themselves. As such, they can be trusted to give you information that isn’t doctored. Using a COA is additionally vital to double-check that what you’re purchasing doesn’t have THC in it. Always opt for CBD oil sold with a COA, including its batch number. This gives you peace of mind about purity and quality.
Takeaways
You’ve now learned how to choose a CBD oil in Australia that fits your needs. We hope this guide has helped you navigate selecting the right CBD product. Finding the right match of CBD product for your own personal health aims, experience, tastes, and health condition is complex. It requires a thoughtful evaluation of your circumstances. Factors like whether you’re a beginner at CBD or if you’re regularly drug tested matter.
These influence the strength and formulation of CBD oil you might choose. In addition, specific product characteristics should be factored into your choice of CBD oil. It’s best to opt for organically sourced hemp products extracted with CO2 and sold with a COA. Before doing anything, though, speak to your doctor first. They’ll help you discover whether CBD oil is right for you and help you safely choose a product.