In the United States and the rest of the world, CBD prices can seem confusing. Tinctures with similar concentration levels are sold at radically different prices without any apparent reason. While it is true that each company has its own pricing strategy, there are other factors affecting the cannabidiol market.
First of all, it is important to understand that the CBD industry has not yet achieved the status of a free market. Cannabidiol products are still strictly regulated by governments, and therefore the forces of supply and demand are distorted by laws and restrictions. In the United Kingdom, for instance, growing hemp plants is still not entirely legal, and therefore big plantations which could offer higher yields are still not present in its territory.
Apart from the local laws and regulations, however, there are three factors which determine the price at which CBD products are made available to the public:
1) Growing Methods
Just as any other plant or vegetable, hemp requires certain conditions to grow healthy and be useful for the manufacturing of CBD oil for sale. Companies using pesticides and artificial additives can easily achieve higher yields and cut prices down, but the results and effects of their finished products are often suboptimal.
On the other hand, CBD businesses using organic growing methods and relying on uncontaminated soil can provide higher quality to their customers at a higher price. While buying expensive products does not always guarantee better results, it is preferable to choose companies using clean and natural growing methods for their plants.
2) Extraction Techniques
Once the hemp plants are harvested, they must go through an extraction process which isolates cannabidiol and other naturally-occurring components into a fatty substance. Just as with harvesting, companies can choose between high-quality extraction methods and their cheaper but less effective alternatives.
One of the most common premium extraction techniques in the industry uses CO2 to isolate the components of the hemp plant. However, it requires a significant initial investment to purchase all the needed machinery. Carbon dioxide extraction, however, is able to produce high quality cannabidiol extracts without using any harmful chemicals or additives. It is also the most efficient extraction method, as it preserves not only cannabidiol but also a wide range of other terpenes and naturally-occurring cannabinoids intact.
On the cheaper side of the extraction techniques, alcohol-based methods are especially popular. They act by separating the hemp leaves and flowers from their oily substances. However, due to the aggressive nature of alcohol, these methods can damage some of the beneficial properties of hemp and result in suboptimal tinctures.
3) Marketing
Just as in almost any other industry, CBD companies often invest large amounts of money in developing comprehensive marketing campaigns to encourage customers to buy their products. While some of these businesses have high-quality growing, harvesting and extraction techniques, others simply rely on well-designed websites and pretty packaging to sell their products.
The fact that marketing techniques can have such an impact in the CBD industry makes it important for customers to do some research and gather as much information as possible before clicking on the ‘Purchase Now” button of their CBD supplier’s website. Understanding the characteristics and differences between products makes it easy to determine whether you are buying a high quality oil or simply one packaged in a nicely-designed bottle.
If you are planning on buying a high quality CBD hemp oil or some cannabidiol-infused gummies, make sure to read both previous customer reviews and the information related to the company’s growth, harvesting and extraction methods. If you do not find the relevant information on the business’s website, do not hesitate to contact them for clarification.
