Facing Facts: CBD Oil Is Not a Certified Organic Product

As the interest in CBD increases, so does the number of people looking to profit from the increased popularity, intensifying the competition between CBD retailers. As a result of this competitive atmosphere, too many companies are misleading consumers by making false claims. When you decide to purchase a CBD product, it's important to have the ability to distinguish between the facts and the fiction.

While hemp is a natural product and typically grown using organic methods, far too often, CBD vendors claim their CBD oil is organic. You may need to know right here and now that this claim is misleading. At this point, it's safe to say that organically certified CBD oil simply does not exist.

To Qualify as Organic Requires USDA Approval

Before any crop or product can be labeled as organic, it needs to be given official certification.¹ While the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets the standards for organicprocesses, the certification process itself is conducted by recognized third-party agents.

For any type of crop to achieve organic certification, there must be strict adherence to every step of the process, from soil management to plant processing. The grower must adhere to stringent requirements, including the types of substances that are allowed to be used while growing and cultivating organic crops. The specific substances allowed or banned for use in organic farming are determined by the USDA. In general, decisions are based on:

• General toxicity
• The effects on human health
• Potential impact on the ecosystem
• Compatibility with sustainable agriculture
• Availability of alternatives
• The probability of causing contamination during use, disposal or manufacturing
• The potential for interaction with other materials

Many people do not realize that there are different levels of organic certification that can be granted. The three levels of organic certification:

• 100 Percent Organic – all ingredients and processes are certified organic
• Organic – contains some approved chemical additives with 95 percent organic ingredients
• Made with Organic Ingredients –a USDA approved certifying agent has verified that some of the ingredients are organic

The Importance of Growing Hemp by Organic Methods

While the 2014US farm bill includes provisions for certifying certain hemp crops as organic, there are alternative certification methods for commercial cannabis. Typically, hemp is not certified organic.² It's important to realize that hemp can be grown by organic methods without receiving organic status. The most reputable CBD manufactures insist upon using the highest quality hemp sourced from plants grown using organic methods.

Compliance with organic methods is essential. Hemp has an amazing ability to draw toxins and metals from the soil. While this is beneficial when hemp is grown to absorb toxic waste, unless your CBD is extracted from organically grown hemp, your product could contain contaminants leached from the soil. Typically, the methods of growing hemp organically mean that:

• Planting organic seeds that have not been treated, exposed to, or modified by chemicals
• The soil is known to be free of toxins
• Hemp is grown without harmful growth hormones, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides
• Crops are grown without the antibiotics
• Hemp is grown and processed without the use of radiation

CBD Oil Does Not Qualify as a USDA Certified Organic Product

While the source of your CBD, hemp, can be grown with organic practices or certified as organic, and CBD is a natural product, CBD oil is not USDA certified organic. In order to be considered an organic product, CBD would need to fall under the jurisdiction of the FDA. Since CBD products are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, CBD products cannot be certified as organic. Any company that claims their CBD oil is a certified organic product is misrepresenting the facts.

Verifying the Purity and Potency of Your CBD

To verify the purity and potency of your CBD, insist on investing in products from retailers who rely on Non-GMO, 100 percent natural, pesticide-free hemp. To verify the safety of your CBD, you will want products from retailers who rely on the safest CBD extraction methods and are willing to disclose the results of third-party product testing. Batch testing by a third party ensures the purity and potency of your CBD product, the product you rely on to support the function of your endocannabinoid system.

The Many Potential Benefits of CBD from Natural Hemp

Your endocannabinoid system is the network of messengers and receptors that regulate nearly every vital function in your body. CBD supplements mimic the effects of your naturally occurring neurotransmitters, potentially supplementing any endocannabinoid deficiencies.

While CBD is not a medication or medical treatment, this dietary supplement has the potential to provide relief for a multitude of symptoms.

The reported benefits of CBD are based on animal studies, laboratory tests, and the testimony of people who use CBD products. It can take several weeks of endocannabinoid supplementation before you notice the benefits you are looking for.

Don't fall victim to fraudulent claims, misleading information, or risk purchasing an unverified product. At CBDistillery, our non-psychoactive products are sourced from non-GMO, 100 percent natural, pesticide-free hemp. The purity and potency of our products are verified by third-party batch testing. Visit CBDistillery for a quality assortment of CBD products, including vape products, tinctures, capsules, ointments and pet products.

Sources:

1. USDA. (2012, March 22). Organic 101: What the USDA Organic Label Means.
2. Vermont Organic Farmers. (2014). Hemp Certification Requirements.

Additional Sources:

FDA. (2017). Organic on Food Labels.

Pure Spectrum. (2018, February 8). Organically Grown Hemp: Why is it so Important?

Whole Story. (2014, September 14). Organic Foods and Pesticide Residues.

Whole Foods Market. Principles of Organic Farming.

CCOF. (2017, July 17). Organic Cannabis Certification?