Trying new things can be scary. These concerns are furthered when it comes to items you may use to help maintain wellness. While CBD products have grown in popularity over the past couple of years, there are still many skeptics out there. With increasing media coverage shining a light on vaping-related illnesses, the misinformed may lump CBD into that category. So, what are some of the concerns about CBD oil?
We recently conducted a poll about CBD products. 2,440 people responded. The majority of these participants (81%) have never tried CBD oil before, meaning their answers offered some incredible insights on fears surrounding the CBD industry.
Let’s take a closer look at the results of our poll. That way we can address some of the misinformation out there and you can make a more informed decision as to whether you want to give CBD a shot.
Who Took This CBD Poll?
We were lucky enough to get 2,400 people to participate in our poll. Just to get a clear picture as to all the factors involved, we’re going to give you a little more background on the participants.
Gender participation was almost split down the middle. 51% of the people were of the female demographic, with 49% identifying as male. Of the group, only 19% currently use CBD products.
What Type of CBD Products Do They Use?
There are many ways to enjoy CBD products, but the most common is a CBD tincture. This method of CBD use is also the preferred choice for our poll members. However, CBD tinctures only won by a slight margin.
Here’s the breakdown of how the 19% of poll participants use CBD:
- CBD Tinctures — 11%
- CBD Vapes — 8%
- Other CBD Products — 4%
While 4% may seem negligible, that’s still 98 people. If CBD tinctures and vape pens aren’t your thing, there are still other options for you. CBD users may opt for topicals they rub into their skin, https://shop.joyorganics.com/products/cbd-gummies”>gummies they can eat or energy drink mixes to flavor their water.
Why Don’t People Use CBD?
It may seem like you hear about CBD everywhere, but the concept is still fairly new. The cannabis industry is expected to hit $57 billion by 2027 — that’s incredible growth in eight years. After all, the CBD industry is still contesting almost a century’s worth of bias around hemp products.
Sometimes it’s easy to live in a bubble. You take for granted that most people are informed about supporting wellness with CBD. However, our poll was a stark reminder that many are still skeptical about bringing CBD into their everyday routine.
81% of people who took our poll currently don’t use CBD products. That’s 1,977 people out of 2,440. The data we compiled offered us very interesting insights, giving us an opportunity to figure out why these people may be hesitant to give CBD a shot. Let’s take a closer look at some of the concerns that people who’ve never tried CBD oil have about hemp-based products.
CBD Safety Concerns
There were various reasons people were hesitant to try CBD products. However, the primary cause of concern was safety. Poll participants were allowed to choose from four options to describe how concerned they were about the idea of using CBD.
The results were:
- Very concerned — 18%
- Somewhat concerned — 30%
- No very concerned — 26%
- Not at all concerned — 26%
While “somewhat concerned” seems more hopeful than “very concerned,” it’s still a level of worry. Almost half of the participants expressed that they find CBD safety concerns troubling.
What Are Primary Concerns Surrounding CBD?
If a poll participant expressed concern over CBD safety, they were presented with a follow-up question. They had to choose one primary reason that they are nervous to try CBD products.
We will note that 3% chose “other.” Since we aren’t certain what those concerns might be, we can’t adequately address them. However, we wanted to acknowledge their participation for the sake of transparency.
We’re going to look at what our poll participants chose to be their primary concerns about CBD, from lowest to greatest.
CBD Itself Could Be Damaging to the Body
14% of people who were concerned about CBD safety were afraid that these products might cause damage to their bodies. We can understand why you might feel that way. After all, CBD is still a new industry. Early research shows promise for CBD, but we still don’t know the actual long-term effects. However, we also believe that some of these concerns are due to some preconceived notions some people have about hemp.
Differences Between Hemp and Marijuana
While you might see the letters “CBD” on almost every item imaginable, that wasn’t the case in our recent past. We can’t forget where CBD comes from and how some biases may be culturally implanted into us. CBD is short for cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is one of over 100 chemical compounds (called cannabinoids) that have been discovered in cannabis.
One cannabinoid that many people are familiar with is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the molecule found in cannabis that has an intoxicating effect. It’s also one of the primary cannabinoids found in the female cannabis plant, marijuana.
When cannabis became illegal last century, it was because of the psychoactive side effects of THC found in marijuana. Almost a century later, we now know that CBD doesn’t cause the same mind-altering experience. We also found out that there’s little THC in the other version of cannabis, hemp. That’s why agricultural hemp became legal at the end of 2018.
While CBD oil is growing in popularity, many still associate hemp with marijuana because they both fall under the cannabis umbrella. Those who are misinformed about CBD might envision smoking cannabis. This could come with thoughts of smoking and the health risks associated with the tobacco industry.
We completely understand this cause for concern. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to get CBD safely without any high or THC.
Other Ways to Use CBD Products
As we mentioned earlier, most of the people who took our poll use CBD tinctures.CBD tinctures usually consist of cannabinoids mixed with a carrier oil, such as extra-virgin olive oil or MCT oil. You simply take the tincture by mouth.
It doesn’t stop there — there is a product out there for every need. Gummies, capsules, creams, bath bombs, and more exist to support you on your path to wellness.
There has been no record of a person overdosing on CBD. Hemp-based products also should not intoxicate you like marijuana, but always be sure to check lab reports first so you can see how much THC is in a product.
Accidental Consumption of Synthetic CBD
In the current market, CBD products aren’t well regulated and you may run the risk of purchasing synthetic CBD. 23% of our poll participants in the concern section found this to be their primary concern.
CBD is naturally found in hemp flowers. To get CBD out of hemp, you must put the plant through a process called extraction. Extraction requires professional equipment and state-of-the-art technologies. Not every company can afford this equipment. However, this slight inconvenience won’t stop an unethical company from cashing in on the CBD boom. These companies might make synthetic CBD.
You have every right to be concerned about using synthetic CBD. In 2018, four people from Chicago died thanks to illnesses caused by synthetic cannabinoids. Another 149 fell very ill.
As the name implies, synthetic CBD is not the natural compound derived from hemp — it’s created from chemicals. It’s hard to gauge how inorganic chemicals will interact with the system because there are no precedents.
One of the most common synthetic cannabinoids found in these inferior products is 4-cyano CUMYL-BUTINACA (4-CCB). 4-CCB interacts with our system in many of the same ways THC does, so using synthetic CBD may invoke a psychoactive experience. Hemp-derived CBD doesn’t have the same type of effect on the system.
How to Avoid Synthetic CBD
While buying synthetic CBD is a legitimate concern, it can actually be avoided quite easily. For one, don’t buy your CBD from a local variety store or gas station. These options may seem convenient, but it’s much like buying knockoff cologne. It might smell close enough to CK One, but after a while, these fake colognes are going to give you a headache!
Sure, not every gas station CBD product will be synthetic, but the chances are greatly increased. Don’t set yourself up for a bad experience. You need to do your research and read labels carefully before you purchase anything.
It’s important to check out the brand’s website and process. They should source their hemp from the United States, use a high-quality extraction process (like supercritical CO2 extraction) and have great reviews from other customers. Be sure to check their Google reviews in addition to their website reviews.
Harmful Added Ingredients
The second biggest cause for worry among those who have never used CBD is potential additives. 29% fear that these ingredients can cause more harm to their bodies than good. Worries over additives are valid and should be addressed in all areas of your life, including grocery shopping.
There are far too many additives in our everyday life. Many wellness companies know that we’re accustomed to these ingredients being added to products, so they cut the same corners as well.
However, consumers are becoming more conscious of these ingredients. Increasingly, people are opting for all-natural products. We commend these choices. That’s why we only use the best ingredients in all of our products.
CBD Gummies
Edibles are an easy product for CBD companies to cut corners on. From food coloring for aesthetics to refined sugars for flavor, many people assume that gummies are unhealthy. Why bother using CBD gummies when they might do more harm than good?
Luckily, our CBD Gummies are crafted with clean ingredients, including stevia, pectin and organic apple juice. You can get the support of CBD in a fun way without the harmful effects of all the junk that comes with typical gummy treats.
Other CBD Products
Anyone concerned about the ingredients in any CBD product simply has to look at labels and product descriptions online. Besides Joy Organics, a number of CBD companies out there do have the consumer’s best interest at heart — after all, many of us got into the CBD industry with wellness in mind. If you have any concerns about ingredients, reach out to customer support to ask questions.
Contaminants
The number one concern among people who don’t use CBD is the contaminants that may be found in the product. 31% felt that heavy metals, toxins and pesticides can cause harm to their bodies if they use CBD products.
When you buy CBD products, make sure you check how the company sources its hemp. In America, you must get permission from the state to grow these crops.
Make sure you are purchasing products that are made with hemp grown in the United States. Other countries, such as the number one hemp exporter, China, may have toxins in their hemp.
As we keep saying, you want to research the companies you consider purchasing from. The highest quality CBD brands will share third-party lab reports for their CBD products. For instance, any product you buy from our store has the lab report available on our website. You can also see every active and inactive ingredient in our products. From there, you can make an educated decision about whether our product is right for you.
How to Ease Concerns Over CBD Products
We live in a very noisy world. There are conflicting reports everywhere on everything, from politics to television shows to CBD products. The best way to navigate through this misinformation is to do the research for yourself. Go down the rabbit hole. Vet companies, read the research and check out our blog posts.
Also, feel free to contact us at any time. We’ve tried all sorts of CBD products — the good and the bad. Our staff is more than happy to share their experiences and help ease your concerns about CBD.
Always go with a brand that you can trust — we hope we can be that brand for you. Joy Organics operates with full transparency. We use the best ingredients that are organic whenever possible. Our hemp is grown in the United States without pesticides.
The CBD products in our store are also broad spectrum, meaning they have many of the cannabinoids found in hemp except THC. You can use all Joy Organics products without the worry of intoxicating side effects. We also offer free shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee on all products. You have nothing to lose except for your concern over CBD products — give us a try!