Would you know the best CBD oil on the market if you saw it?

CBD oil is one of the most popular and sought-after products on the legal cannabis market. It is a natural extract that contains cannabidiol, a substance with beneficial effects on the mind and body.

From treating anxiety to relieving chronic pain, CBD oil has shown promising therapeutic benefits, fuelling a growing demand. However, with a wide range of brands and formulations, finding the right product for your needs can be daunting.

How to choose the best CBD oil in 2024? What are the criteria to consider and which brands are preferred? 

There are many factors to consider when you set your sights on finding the absolute best CBD oil. You have to know how to choose the formulation, the percentage of its components, the method of cannabidiol extraction, not to mention the carrier oil in which the active ingredient is diluted. 

In 2024, the legal boundaries of CBD products are still very uncertain and unclearly regulated. That is why it is even more important to know what to buy for your own well-being.

In this article, we will give you some useful tips for buying a safe, effective and legal quality CBD oil. 

Full Spectrum or Broad Spectrum?

Let’s start with the basics. You should know that the formulation of CBD oil, hence the composition of the product, can be different. Imagine CBD oil divided into two broad categories: Full Spectrum and Broad Spectrum. 

When it comes to choosing between Full Spectrum and Broad Spectrum of CBD oil, the first choice you will have to make is to consider your individual needs and preferences. 

Full Spectrum oil contains all the natural compounds found in the cannabis plant, including cannabinoids such as CBD, THC (in legal traces), CBG, and terpenes. This type of oil is often preferred by those seeking to maximise the ‘entourage’ effect by exploiting the synergistic potential of all the compounds present in the plant.

On the other hand, Broad Spectrum oil is similar to Full Spectrum, but with one key difference: it is THC-free. This makes it a popular choice for those who wish to benefit from the different cannabinoids and terpenes of the cannabis plant without risking THC, which could cause psychoactive effects or could test positive in drug tests.

So, when trying to figure out which is the best CBD oil, the choice between Full Spectrum and Broad Spectrum depends on your own priorities as well as legal and health considerations. 

Always remember that the best Full Spectrum CBD oil is always the one in which the THC percentage is legal. This is why you should always check the label and, if possible, the laboratory analysis of the individual product you want to buy. 

To find out what percentage of THC is considered legal in the UK, read on. 

What is the CBD percentage?

Generally, CBD oils range from a low concentration, around 5%, to higher concentrations, such as 30% or even more. The choice of the most suitable concentration depends on several factors.

A key factor is experience with CBD:

• Beginners: if you have never taken CBD, start with a low percentage (5%);
• Expert users: if you are already familiar with CBD, you can try a medium (10%) or a high (20-30%) concentration.

Another factor to be considered is the body weight:

• Low body weight: low concentrations are usually enough;
• High body weight: medium or high concentrations may be necessary.

Finally, take into consideration the symptoms you need to treat:

• Mild: low concentrations could be enough;
• Severe: you could consider taking higher concentrations.

Let us give some examples of different concentrations of CBD oils and their common uses.

Low-concentration (5%) CBD oils:

• Appropriate for beginners
• For a light effect
• They can be used to treat anxiety, stress, insomnia

Medium-concentration (10-15%) CBD oils:

• For those familiar with CBD
• For a more intense effect
• They can be used to treat chronic pain, inflammation, nausea

High-concentration (20-30% and more) CBD oils:

• For expert users
• For a much more powerful effect
• They can be used to treat epilepsy, movement disorders, Dravet Syndrome

However, the percentage of CBD is just an aspect of the product that you need to take into consideration. What is also important is knowing how to choose the right percentage of THC.

What is the percentage of THC?

In Europe, the maximum permitted percentage of THC in CBD oils varies from country to country and may be subject to regulatory changes. Generally speaking, most European countries, including the UK, adopt a THC threshold of 0.2% for CBD oils.

This low percentage of THC has been established to make sure that CBD products are legal and do not induce significant psychoactive effects.

In contrast, Broad Spectrum and Isolated CBD oils contain either no THC or such insignificant traces of it as to be negligible (<0.01%).

Other factors to be taken into account while choosing the best CBD oil include, of course, the quality of the product, i.e. the raw materials from which it was created, the type of formulation, which we explained above, and the method of extraction, which we will see in a moment.

The importance of carrier oil: hemp, olive oil, coconut oil

The carrier oil plays an important role in the composition of CBD oils, because it acts as a vehicle for the CBD itself and helps improve its absorption and efficacy.

The three main options for carrier oils are hemp seed oil, olive oil and coconut oil, each with their own distinctive advantages and characteristics:

• Hemp seed oil: extracted from the same cannabis plant from which CBD is extracted, it is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as vitamins and antioxidants, which makes it a healthy complementary solution to CBD, providing potential health benefits in addition to CBD itself;
• (Extra virgin) Olive oil: known for its health benefits, including an abundance of monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, it is a popular option for CBD oils due to its stability and ability to enhance CBD absorption in the body, it can also impart a pleasant, slightly earthy aroma to the product;
• Coconut oil: renowned for its versatility, it is rich in medium-chain saturated fats (MCT), which are easily digestible and can increase the absorption of CBD in the body. It can also help improve the consistency and stability of CBD oils and can have a pleasant, sweet fragrance.

The choice of carrier oil often depends on the manufacturer. However, if you have a strong personal preference, you can look for a particular carrier. What matters most of all, of course, is that the product is of quality.

What is the extraction method?

We finally come to the last big factor that will allow you to choose the best CBD oil from all those on the market. There are several extraction methods used to obtain CBD and other cannabinoids from cannabis plants. 

Here are some of the most common methods:

• Supercritical CO2: is one of the most advanced and safe extraction methods, involving the use of carbon dioxide in a supercritical state (high pressure and temperature) to extract cannabinoids from cannabis plants, this process produces a pure and concentrated extract without solvent residues, making it popular for high quality products;
• Solvent: this method is cruder and involves the use of solvents such as ethyl alcohol or butane, the plants are placed in the solvent, which is then removed through evaporation to obtain a concentrated cannabinoid extract, this procedure obviously requires careful handling to ensure that all solvent residues are removed;
• Oil: simpler method involving the infusion of cannabis plants into a carrier oil used to extract the cannabinoids through heat, this is a relatively safe method and can also be done at home, but may produce a less concentrated extract than the other methods.

The choice of extraction method, as you may well understand, can influence the quality and purity of the final product. It is important that manufacturers use safe and reliable extraction methods. And it is equally important that they are transparent about the production process so that the end consumer can make an informed decision.

Rely on a reliable manufacturer

After carefully examining all the variables to choose the best CBD oil and exploring the available options, it is clear how crucial it is to rely on a reliable and transparent manufacturer. 

The quality of CBD oil depends not only on the concentration of CBD and THC, but also on the origin of the plant, the formulation, the extraction method and the carrier oil used.

With a commitment to excellence, transparency and quality, Maria CBD Oil offers Full and Broad Spectrum CBD oils, extracted from sustainably grown cannabis plants and subjected to strict quality control in full compliance with European standards.

Discover Maria CBD Oil’s range of CBD oils now, with formulations and percentages to suit every need.