Despite our many warnings, confusion remains. In this article, we will explain how to distinguish genuine CBD oil from fake oil. If you are thinking of buying CBD oil, we recommend reading our articles.
Before starting, please read our other article on this topic.
CBD guide: Frequently asked questions
If you have read that article, you should have some idea. First, let us note that, at the time of publication, selling CBD oil or a CBD-containing product in Turkey was not yet legal! You can ask the relevant ministry for information directly from the authorities.
Even in countries where it is legal, the situation is confusing. How can you tell whether CBD oil or a CBD-containing product is actually useful?
Label and ingredients
“CBD” on a label does not mean the product contains CBD. Companies can release misleading products by putting hemp oil inside and printing “CBD” in large letters on the front, creating the impression that CBD is present. If a product contains CBD, its concentration must be stated. Be skeptical of products without a clear percentage such as “5% CBD” or “2% CBD.”
If the company does not state the CBD concentration on the front, cannabinoid values must appear on the back. Another trick is possible here: some companies add a negligible amount, such as 0.02%, then market the product as containing CBD. To benefit from CBD oil, the CBD concentration needs to be at least in the 2–10% range. This varies with the condition or desired effect.
Note: Some companies measure in grams rather than percentages. The same quantities apply.
If the back of your product says “Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil” or “hemp oil” rather than giving CBD content, it is hemp seed oil, not CBD oil. These are different products. Be sure to read our detailed article!
Taste and smell
Because CBD oil comes from hemp extract, it has an intense taste and smell unless it is CBD isolate. CBD isolate has all terpenes and other cannabinoids removed, so its color and smell may differ. Full spectrum and broad spectrum oils have rich cannabinoid and terpene concentrations and generally taste strong and bitter. The carrier oil also affects taste and smell. For details, read the following article.
What you need to know about CBD oil ingredients
CBD oils fall into three categories: full spectrum, broad spectrum and CBD isolate. Our detailed explanation of their differences is available below.
Full spectrum CBD, broad spectrum CBD and CBD isolate
Price
Price makes it easy to assess whether CBD oil is genuine. At publication, the minimum European retail price of genuine, high-quality CBD oil (10 ml, 5% CBD) was €30, with prices ranging from €30 to €60. Assuming it were sold in Turkey, a rough calculation adding tax, customs and VAT suggested a quality product should cost at least TRY 300.
Note: This was a rough estimate for 10 ml of 5% CBD oil. Prices rise with CBD concentration. Because the product was not yet legally sold in Turkey, its exact price could not be known. Adding taxes, customs and VAT to wholesale figures supplied by companies we contacted produced a minimum of around TRY 300. This varies with oil quality.
Onset of effects
CBD's most distinctive characteristic is its rapid, perceptible effect. Genuine oil used in the right amount should take effect within 15–20 minutes. This is generally a mild sense of relief and relaxation. If you feel nothing after taking it, the oil may be fake or the dose incorrect. At that point, you can increase the dose and try again. If you still notice no effect, the oil is probably fake or contains less CBD than the label states.
The company's reliability and reports
Research the manufacturer carefully. An attractive website or photographs should not mislead you. Independent laboratory testing matters. If reports are absent from the website, request them. Otherwise, you could be consuming oil full of pesticides.
Amazon and products made in China
Amazon has become a haven for fake oils. Particular care is needed with Chinese products. We know little about inspections and regulations in China, but extremely low prices were enough to make us suspicious. Good Chinese producers surely exist; we are simply offering a general warning. We recommend European products because of proximity and stricter inspections.
These problems are understandable in a new industry where consumers lack information. We believe the sector will settle and dishonest companies will be eliminated soon.
What was the situation in Turkey?
At publication, producing and selling CBD oil in Turkey was prohibited. As stated earlier, you can write to the relevant ministries for a firsthand answer. We write regularly to monitor the situation. No company had yet received permission to produce and sell CBD! If a company unknown to us shares official permits and independent laboratory results for its CBD product, we can immediately correct this article. But as of February 4, 2020, no such company existed to our knowledge.
Note: These statements apply to February 4, 2020, the publication date. We will update the article as developments occur.
The ministry's response
The response to our recent CİMER application can be translated as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
The substance called “cannabis” is defined as Cannabis in the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961. Under Article 3 of Law No. 2313 on the Control of Narcotic Drugs, cultivating cannabis exclusively to produce narcotic cannabis, and preparing, importing, exporting or selling that substance in any form, are prohibited.
Regarding cannabidiol (CBD), only one medicine containing this substance alone had been licensed worldwide, by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2018. It was approved only for seizures in two rare, severe epilepsies, Lennox–Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. The medicine was subject to controlled status in the United States.
In light of this information, a CBD-containing product cannot be placed on Turkey's market as a nonprescription OTC product or food supplement. Furthermore, because a medicine containing this substance must be administered under medical supervision and obtained through a special prescription for controlled substances, classifying such a product as a traditional herbal medicinal product is considered inappropriate.
The relevant United Nations bodies have recently been working on the legal framework for the term medical cannabis.
We also monitor clinical studies.
For matters concerning plant production, crop harvesting and similar issues, contacting the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is considered appropriate.
Yours sincerely,
