Walk into any CBD shop (ours included) and you’ll see oils from a few hundred mg up to several thousand, labelled full spectrum, broad spectrum, isolate, CBG… It’s a lot to take in. This is roughly how we explain it to people at the counter.
What’s actually in the bottle
CBD (cannabidiol) is a compound from hemp that doesn’t get you high. In an oil it’s mixed with a carrier, normally MCT oil from coconut, or hemp seed oil. Most come in 10ml bottles with a dropper, and you take the drops under your tongue.
Is it legal?
Yes, as long as it follows the rules. Oil sold as a food supplement can only have trace amounts of controlled cannabinoids like THC, and it should be linked to an application on the FSA’s public list of CBD products. A decent seller will have a lab report to back up what’s on the label.
mg and percentages
Both tell you the same thing: how much CBD is in the whole bottle. For a 10ml bottle:
- 500mg is 5%, about 2.5mg a drop
- 1000mg is 10%, about 5mg a drop
- 2500mg is 25%, about 12.5mg a drop
- 3500mg is 35%, about 17.5mg a drop
A stronger oil isn’t a different product, it just has more CBD in each drop. The FSA advises healthy adults to stay at or under 10mg a day, and the lower strengths make that much easier to measure. There’s more on this in how much CBD should I take?
Full spectrum, broad spectrum, isolate
Full spectrum oil keeps the other natural compounds from the hemp plant, like terpenes and minor cannabinoids, including a trace of THC within the legal limit. Here are our full spectrum oils.
Broad spectrum is much the same but with the THC taken out (broad spectrum oils). Isolate is just CBD on its own, nothing else from the plant.
You’ll also come across CBG oil. CBG (cannabigerol) is a different cannabinoid from hemp, and like CBD it isn’t intoxicating.
Reading a lab report
A certificate of analysis, or COA, is the lab’s test result for the product. You don’t need to understand every line of it. Look for three things: the CBD figure roughly matches the label, THC and the other controlled cannabinoids are within UK limits, and the product name or batch is the one you’re actually buying. Most of our product pages have a “View lab report” link so you can check.
Working out value
Divide the price by the total mg and you have the price per mg. Bigger bottles usually come out cheaper that way, but there’s no point saving money on a strength you can’t measure out in the amounts you want.
How to take it
Give the bottle a shake, put the drops under your tongue, hold them there for about a minute and then swallow. Keep a rough count of how much you’re taking.
What we stock
Our own CannaPower oils go from 500mg up to 3500mg. We also have a 5000mg full spectrum hemp oil, a 2500mg CBG oil and Royal Hemp Co.’s citrus oils. You can see them all on the oils page, or come and have a look at the shop in Camden.
This is general information and not medical advice. CBD oils are sold as food supplements, not medicines, and aren’t meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication, talk to your GP or pharmacist before trying CBD.
