The Anatomy of a Great CBD Company
Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, is a compound derived from specific strains of the cannabis plant. Unlike THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, CBD does not cause intoxication and has many additional health benefits. Since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the cultivation of hemp, cannabis varieties containing less than 0.3 percent THC, CBD is becoming one of the fastest growing industries in the United States as well as overseas.
Patients with a variety of chronic illnesses, from childhood epilepsy and cancer to generalized anxiety and acne, turn to alternative treatments when pharmaceuticals prove ineffective or the side effects of conventional medicine become intolerable, and CBD is increasingly becoming their remedy of choice.
Although research into the effectiveness of CBD is still in its infancy, early studies have revealed the plant extract’s potential and with it, the profitability of marketing CBD products directly to the public. In such a competitive market, companies need extraction methods that guarantee the safety, purity, and potency of their CBD, robust product lines that appeal to a diverse array of consumers, and marketing strategies tailored specifically for the health and wellness market.
Consumers are understandably wary of nutritional supplements that, unlike prescription drugs, aren’t subject to FDA inspection and regulation. A customer who purchases CBD for pain relief from an unscrupulous online vendor could unknowingly be consuming poor-quality ingredients of inconsistent potency or synthetic CBD substitutes that can be downright dangerous. Therefore, companies must take extra steps to assure the public their CBD products are safe, legal, and contain precisely what the label lists.
One of the best ways to maintain accountability is to have products analyzed by a third-party laboratory. Because these facilities have no stake in the CBD company, they are more likely to provide unbiased information. Patients who undergo regular drug screenings at work or healthcare facilities are hesitant to try cannabis-based remedies because of the danger of false positive, so companies that can guarantee their CBD contains no detectable THC have a distinct advantage.
The same demographics looking for natural remedies for particular health complaints are usually equally concerned with their overall health and that of the planet. A customer with an autoimmune disease using CBD for pain relief, for example, is likely to be taking steps to limit exposure to allergens and harmful chemicals.
Providing a superior product begins on the farm. Hemp and other cannabis strains tend to absorb high levels of pesticides and heavy metals from contaminated soil, so sustainable farming methods are vital for product safety and consumer trust. Verma Farms, for example, offers a line of CBD oils that are certified organic, vegan, GMO-free, and American-grown. The only additives are other plant oils that work synergistically with CBD. Customers can choose a chamomile blend for calmness, lemon-infused drops for improved focus, or a pure, unflavored CBD oil for more general use.
When it comes to CBD, not all customers have the same needs and preferences. Some people prefer the convenience of a capsule while others with swallowing issues require a liquid. Some people want a flavorless powder they can mix into food while others prefer CBD-infused versions of their favorite treats and beverages.
Many patients benefit from oral ingestion of CBD, but others get better results when they apply massage oils, gels, or lotions to the skin. Still, others achieve higher absorption rates by vaping CBD as an e-liquid. Patients who have smoked or vaped medical marijuana in the past may also prefer this method.
Companies like Green Roads cover all their bases by offering edibles like CBD-infused coffee, syrups, and gummy bears, topicals like muscle creams and aromatic oils, oral tinctures in convenient single-dose syringes, and even products designed for pets.
In addition to producing high-quality CBD, companies need to provide substantial evidence of their products’ effectiveness. The gold standard for medical research is a series of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. However, these types of studies are expensive to fund and time-consuming to manage, so research often seems to move at a crawl.
Fortunately, anecdotal evidence also has its place. In the fast-paced world of Google searches and social media, customers look to recommendations from friends, product reviews, and brands their favorite influencers endorse. Although some consumers are extremely data-driven and most interested in experts’ conclusions, many are more likely to trust the opinions of people they know personally or interact with regularly online.
To back up their claims about CBD benefits, companies need to produce content grounded in scientific facts as well as personal testimony. Rather than making unsubstantiated claims about CBD’s power to cure cancer, focus on the ways CBD can improve cancer patients’ quality of life. One blog entry could discuss a study on the benefits of CBD for patients suffering from cancer-related pain. Another article could highlight the potential of CBD to reduce chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting.
To appeal to younger demographics with different health concerns, provide testimonials from individuals like Kelsey Clark, who describes how CBD oil decreased her anxiety levels, improved her sleep, and helped her maintain her concentration in a distracting work environment.
Has your business jumped on the CBD bandwagon? Share your story in the comments.
About Christian Reynolds
Christian is the chief reporter, editor, and webmaster at Cleveland Leader. An aspiring news anchor, his hobbies outside of investigative reporting are golf, martinis, and adventure travel. If you have a scoop on any developing story, please contact him on this page.
