Why is cbd oil so expensive?
When you look at a CBD bottle, you might think that it is just any other type of medicine that you can get at a fair price over the counter.
However, quality CBD oil can be quite expensive, and this can be one of the factors that tend to explain why there are a few people who get access to it.
The price of this oil is determined all the way from farming, manufacturing, testing, and even middlemen who will supply the products to your nearest retailer.
While there are cheaper CBD bottles, you should know that the price is an indication of the quantity of CBD that is contained.
A small bottle that contains quality CBD oil will go at the cost of over one hundred dollars, and this makes the pieces look very inflated. Even without the factors of demand and supply being put into consideration, CBD oil is generally very expensive because of the hectic and cost-intensive processes involved.
Below are some of the reasons why CBD oil is very expensive.
Table of Contents
Farming CBD
The Food Drug and Administration board came up with regulations that would govern the process of manufacturing CBD oil in the country.
One of the regulations they put in place is to have farmers’ plant hemp plants rich in CBD. Such plants should have a higher level of CBD than the other molecules in cannabis, such as THC.
To the farmers, breeding such strains of the hemp plant that have a high CBD content level can be quite expensive, and this results in very high prices.
The legal issues that surround the farming and use of CBD are still not very clear in some of the states. This is why farmers are required to plant only the specified varieties of Hemp plant, and such varieties can be difficult to come across, and they can also be very expensive.
The other factor that farmers face and which also causes a very high cost of CBD oil is heavy taxation.
Other plants grown in the US face very favorable taxes because the government invests in such businesses for export purposes.
However, hemp farmers are not included in the same tax bracket as the other farmers.
This, therefore, means that there are very few farmers who are willing to go ahead with the zero incentives given and this reduced supply of hemp plant. A reduction in supply will cause the prices of CBD extracted from hemp to be very high.
The cannabis plant is a hardy plant that can go in any place.
However, hemp plants with high CBD levels will require a controlled environment with the right levels of humidity, temperature, and more. To develop such a controlled setting can be very costly, especially for those farmers who are starting.
Very high overhead costs are the reason why it is very difficult for new farmers to venture into the planting of the hemp plant, and this leaves a controlled supply of this plant and hence the high costs of the end product.
Manufacturing process
The process of manufacturing CBD is also another significant factor contributing to the exaggerated cost of CBD products.
There are different types of manufacturers. Some grow their hemp and manufacture it themselves, those that buy hemp from US states and manufacturer it, and those that buy hemp plants overseas.
CBD that is manufactured by companies that grow their hemp plant can be cheaper as compared to the other types, and the quality is also great.
The reason for this is because such manufacturers able to reduce some unnecessary costs, and they can regulate the quality of the hemp plants that they use.
CBD that has been manufactured from the hemp plants bought from US farmers can be quite expensive because such manufacturers will have to cover the costs that they incurred in purchasing high-quality hemp plants.
The last group of manufacturers is those that purchase the hemp plant from overseas countries. This hemp plant can be lower in quality because it might not have been grown in a controlled environment setting.
However, you will find that such products derived from imported hemp plants can be cheaper, but the quality for the same may not be very good.
CBD extraction
The process of extracting a CBD isolate can also involve very cost-intensive and very heavy processes.
After purchasing the hemp plant, manufacturers will need to isolate the CBD oil from the plant. This is a labor-intensive process, and the equipment needed for the same are specialized and expensive to acquire.
One of the machines that are used for the CBD extraction process is the CO2 extraction machines.
These machines use high levels of pressure and heat to transform CO2 into both liquid and gas states. Such a state is referred to as the supercritical stage.
When CO2 gas is in this state, it can extract all compounds from the hemp plant separately, and this means that CBD oils will be gotten from the plant in an almost pure state. This is called a CBD isolate.
The process of extraction does not end here because after the CBD oil has been extracted, it will need to be purified even further. CO2 extraction is, however, a process that is only used by those manufactures that need 100% CBD product that does not contain anything else.
Such a high-quality CBD product can, however, be very expensive because it does not contain any impurities. The people who also deal with operating this machinery can also be very expensive to hire.
After CBD oil has been extracted through the CO2 extraction process, it is stored in a frozen state and then purified through a process called winterization.
It is here where the manufacturer will extract the final pure CBD compounds, which they will later sell to you.
Because CBD oil cannot be sold in its form, it will need to be suspended in an inert oil for a few days. The cost can also be affected in this process because different types of oils can be used.
The most common, however, is hemp oil and coconut oil, all of which have their unique benefits.
The winterization process is the final step, and it is after this, the CBD oil is packaged in a bottle, and it is now deemed ready for use by the final consumers.
As stated earlier, depending on the purity levels of the oil that are desired, the process of extraction can be longer, and this will also relatively increase the prices.
Lab tests
Because of all the legal issues surrounding the extracts from cannabis plants, before CBD oil gets to the market, it is heavily tested for purity.
This is to ensure that it will not cause any psychoactiveness in users. Such tests are also important because they assure the users that the product will deliver medical benefits without affecting their motor functions.
While different countries have different laws on tests and regulations, the one clear thing is that this process is one of the things that make CBD so expensive.
CBD oil needs to be tested in two major places: independent laboratories and Food and Drug administration checkpoints.
Independent tests are conducted by the manufacturer because they want to assure their customers that the product they are getting is genuine, and it is a full spectrum CBD. There is a lot of stigmas that surround the use of CBD products, but with such independent tests, the manufacturers want to attract more customers to use these products for medical purposes.
The government tests are also paid for because they will legalize the product that the manufacturer will be putting in the market. When the manufacturer is setting a price for the final product in the market, it will also put the costs of these tests into consideration, and this is a factor that will also increase the price significantly.
How much should I expect to pay for CBD oil?
There is no given clear answer as to how much is the price of CBD oil.
This is because different pieces have been set aside for each product depending on the popularity of the brand with their rights reserved and, more so, the levels within that product. The prices can also be adjusted every now and then, depending on the economic environment and the forces of demand and supply.
One thing that is, however, clear is full-spectrum CBD oil is not cheap, and you will have to part with around a hundred dollars for a small bottle containing a high-quality product. The average bottle of tincture will contain between 500 mg to 600 mg of the CBD oil, and the prices for the same will range around 70 US dollars to 100 US dollars.
There are, however, some cheaper oils but you should always be cautious with such products. They may contain lower efficacy levels, and the quality may not be as good. Therefore, when purchasing, always know in most cases, the price of CBD you will pay determines the quality you are getting.
Does CBD oil do anything?
There are a lot of benefits that can be derived from using CBD oil.
Research has shown that CBD oil has loads of medical benefits, and the full potential of this product is yet to be uncovered because more studies are still underway. Some of the most popular benefits include the following:
1. Can be used for chronic pain
Research has shown that CBD oil can be used as a treatment for chronic pain.
The brain has an endocannabinoid system that regulates different body responses, such as pain.
With the use of CBD oil, the activities of the endocannabinoid system will be interrupted, and this will help reduce inflammation and response to pain. This can be a huge advantage, especially to those who have conditions such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
2. Can be used for depression and anxiety
Depression and anxiety are one of the popular conditions in the US and across the globe that affect a large percentage of people.
CBD oil has been proven to be a better medication for these two conditions than other medications because it is a more natural treatment. The reasoning behind this is that it can act on the neurotransmitter in the brain that regulates social behavior and mood.
Besides depression and anxiety, the products can also treat insomnia, headaches, sexual dysfunction, and more.
3. Can treat cancer symptoms
It can also be used in relieving some of the symptoms that are caused by cancer, such as nausea, vomiting, pain, and more.
Some studies have shown that it can be used as an alternative medication to those dealing with pain induced by some types of cancer.
It can also be used in relieving the side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea and vomiting. There is little research that is revealing that CBD can be used in fighting breast cancer and inhibit death is cancer cells.
However, this is a study that needs more supporting research to show that CBD can be used for treating cancer.
4. Can treat cardiovascular conditions
More recent studies have also supported the fact that CBD can improve heart conditions and other circulatory processes.
Research has shown that CBD can be used in regulating blood pressure and can be very effective for people who have high blood pressure. CBD also has anti-oxidant properties, and it reduces stress, which can be very useful in reducing inflammation levels that can cause heart diseases. The use of CBD can ensure that the heart is protected from damage, and it can be used in improving the conditions of the heart.
5. Can be used in treating neurological disorders
Studies have also shown that the ability of CBD to act on the endocannabinoid system in the brain can be very beneficial to those who have neurological conditions.
It can be useful in conditions such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. The studies have also shown very promising results when these products are used in treating Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s.
However, there still needs to be more research to reveal all the benefits of CBD in neurological conditions, although when tested on people with these conditions, the results were very promising.
You might also interested in this article, How to use cbd oil for erectile dysfunction?
Will CBD oil come down in price?
Even with all the factors that make CBD oil so expensive, it can come down in price in recent years.
There are a lot of factors that will contribute to this. One is that the law is becoming more lenient towards the use of CBD in treating medical conditions.
With reduced regulations on these products, the prices will come down because more manufacturers will join the industry, and this will increase the supply.
In addition to this, people are becoming more aware of the full benefits that are associated with the use of CBD in treating a wide array of health conditions. This awareness is guaranteed to have an impact on prices because manufacturers will be supplying on a large scale, and the economies of scale will reduce the overhead costs.
However, one thing that will not change is that extracting is what makes CBD so expensive.
For this reason, even if the prices for these products will reduce, the impact will not be very high because the process will remain the same to bring the best product to the market.
What is the difference in price between hemp-sourced and marijuana-sourced CBD oil?
There are some states that have legalized the use of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. In such states, some users may opt to buy CBD oil products that have been extracted from marijuana.
It is, however, important to note that CBD oil extracted from marijuana is rarely pure because it has some levels of THC, which can cause users to be psychoactive.
When comparing the prices, there is no major difference because the CBD oil products extracted from industrial hemp, and those extracted from marijuana tend to cost the same.
You will actually find that marijuana-sourced CBD oil can be as costly as some of the quality full-spectrum CBD oil that has been extracted in their purest form.
Final Verdict
CBD products have proven to be very costly, and this has made a lot of people look for more affordable alternatives for medical treatment.
The reason for the price is not just the increasing demand versus the low supply but also because of the heavy processes such as CO2 extraction involved in producing CBD.
In the USA, a tiny bottle can go for approximately a hundred dollars, and this price can go up in some states. One thing that is, however, clear is that despite some cheap products in the market, quality is one thing you should go for.
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