10 Reasons Why CBD Is So Expensive

1. 10 Reasons Why CBD Is So Expensive 1. Hemp Presents Challenges for FarmersTo answer the question of why is CBD oil so expensive, we must first look at current farming practices.Hemp production presents challenges that many farmers haven’t faced before, especially for those who made the switch from food crops like vegetables and fruits. Hemp requires a lot of manual work and inspection during growth. For instance, when hemp plants produce more than the legally allotted amount of THC, the compound in marijuana that causes users to feel intoxicating effects, those plants must be destroyed. Hemp farmers must constantly monitor the situation to prevent catastrophic crop loss.Harvesting hemp presents another issue. Workers can harvest the plants with a combine, but only farmers who produce grains typically own them out of necessity. If a farm previously produced strawberries or tomatoes, the farmers may not own such a machine.And combine harvesters are often prohibitively expensive for use on a new crop. As a result, many hemp farmers harvest their crop manually.Finally, the hemp must go through a drying process, which can require large, sheltered spaces and proper conditions.These issues add up to high prices. Fortunately, prices recently started to decline and may soon stabilize. But those price changes may not affect consumers for some time due to existing inventory.2. Cannabinoid Extraction and Refinement is a Difficult ProcessThe next step also influences why CBD is so expensive.It would be nice if CBD extraction were as simple as squeezing oil out of hemp flowers, but it doesn’t work like that. The process is quite sophisticated, utilizing expensive, highly calibrated machines.Processors extract CBD and other cannabinoids from hemp using two primary solutions, ethanol or supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2).Both methods produce perfectly safe products when carried out correctly, but ethanol provides the less expensive option. Manufacturers using this method can also scale up production more easily compared to CO2 processes.Companies that produce smaller batches frequently opt for supercritical CO2 extraction. This method can extract greater amounts of compounds from hemp, and can result in exceedingly high-quality products. But CO2 extraction is a wildly expensive process with lots of room for error. As a result, small-batch “boutique” brands typically cost more than others.Both methods produce full spectrum hemp extract, which contains CBD, THC, minor cannabinoids, and other plant compounds like essential oils and terpenes. And some companies use those full spectrum extracts in their products.But many people choose to avoid any THC content due to health or employment concerns.To produce a THC-free* product, CBD product makers must further process the hemp extract to create broad spectrum extract.Continued refinement can produce pure CBD or CBD isolate for use in products.Finally, cbdMD takes things a step further by using a hybrid method to create our Superior Broad Spectrum formula. Our CBD process utilizes multiple isolates to provide consumers with consistent amounts of cannabinoids across all product batches.Traditional full and broad spectrum extracts cannot duplicate this kind of precision.Finally, innovations that make these processes more efficient will certainly affect prices in the future.3. Development, Good Manufacturing Practices, and Quality Control Require Major InvestmentReputable companies don’t simply make CBD oils and put them out in the world. They engage in extensive research and development, abide by current good manufacturing practices (GMP), and enact stringent quality control and testing to create superior hemp products. All of which contributes to why CBD is so

2. expensive.These initiatives require the services of highly educated, experienced, and knowledgeable laboratory workers, extremely sophisticated equipment, and equally reputable partners for third-party testing and evaluation. In the absence of such skilled people and top- tier equipment, quality, reliability, and safety can suffer greatly. Corner-cutting should never take place when manufacturing a product intended to support wellness. Nonetheless, many companies do so, and still charge consumers a premium price. One way to ensure proper peace of mind when determining where to buy CBD oil is to look for companies who test their products throughout the production process. Reputable companies will always use third-party labs to independently test their product batches, while also providing lab results, otherwise known as a Certificate of Analysis. This certificate further verifies the contents of a product, and ensures that no harmful chemicals or additives were used at any point in the production process. 4. Distribution and Marketing is HamperedOne of the major factors of why CBD is so expensive pertains to its small-scale distribution.Many major retail outlets, like grocery, drug, and health supplement stores, refuse to carry CBD products or severely limit selection. This problem relates to regulatory issues, misconceptions about hemp, and bad actors in the hemp industry.In short, many retailers view CBD as potential liability and this is why is cbd so expensive.