What Does Certified Organic Mean When It Comes To CBD?
If you are already a fan of eating organic fruits and vegetables, adding organic CBD to your menu seems like a natural fit. There are strict policies and procedures for farmers to follow in order to certify their product as organic in the United States. These strict guidelines work to ensure that you are purchasing a naturally grown product without potentially harmful pesticides and additives. But can CBD be certified organic as well? And what makes a CBD product organic? Read on to learn more of the details of this growing fad in CBD products.
Where Does CBD Come From?
CBD, otherwise known as cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring compound found in hemp plants. This plant compound, along with other natural plant compounds, is extracted from hemp to make CBD extract oil. This is done with a variety of methods, but some of the most common ones are either solvent-based or solvent-less. The extract produced will have some variations, depending on the extraction technique used. There are three main types of CBD extract, including full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and CBD isolates. Each has varying levels of additional hemp plant compounds, with full-spectrum extract containing the broadest range and CBD isolates stripped down to just CBD. Broad-spectrum extract will typically contain terpenes in addition to CBD, while full-spectrum extract preserves as many of the hemp plant compounds as possible.
CBD is commonly extracted from hemp plants in the US, due to the legalization of industrial hemp cultivation with the 2018 Farm Bill. This bill also declassified hemp as a Schedule I controlled substance, which opened the plant up to being certified USDA Organic. The seeds, hemp plant clones, and hemp plant transplants can all be certified organic now, which can lead to a certified organic CBD product as well.
How is Hemp Grown Organically?
Companies who want to have their hemp go through the certification process to become USDA Organic must go through a series of inspections in order to make it happen. But it can be worthwhile for a lot of companies, in order to make their brand stand out from the rest of the numerous CBD products on the market. An organic hemp-derived CBD product can translate to one that offers the highest safety and quality standards possible to consumers.
This is due to the number of quality checks and regulations a hemp plant must go through in order to be deemed organic by the USDA. The hemp plants being used to create CBD extract must be grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. The soil the hemp plants are being grown in must also be tilled and subject to cultivation practices that maintain or improve the condition of the soil. However, that is not all it takes in order to make a USDA Certified organic CBD product.
What is Certified Organic CBD?
So technically speaking, the hemp plant that CBD is extracted from can be grown organically. However, the plant compound itself is not certified organic. But a CBD product can be certified organic. So how does that work?
First, the CBD product must be made with Certified organic hemp plants grown on certified organic farms. Then those plants must go through an organic extraction process to create the CBD extract. Companies must use specific extraction processes with their organically grown hemp, which include USDA Organic Certified ingredients as well. Some companies opt to trade out the solvent-based and solvent-less extraction methods for lipid extraction, alcohol extraction, or CO2 extraction methods to meet this requirement. The extraction facility must be inspected by a USDA official, to ensure that their day-to-day practices are compliant with USDA organic regulations. Only then will their application be considered to become one of a handful of USDA Certified Organic CBD extract businesses in the US.
However, “organic” in one country can mean a very different thing than another country’s definition of organic. An organic product usually consists of a plant that is grown entirely free of chemicals and pesticides. Some farmers may take that a step further though and use environmentally responsible growing practices as well as can you if you are growing hemp on your own. Many companies will put their organic products through third-party laboratory analysis, in order to provide consumers with a verified list of what is included in their product. This is a great practice and companies that provide this kind of testing will also provide the safest products, with the most transparent dose of CBD. Always be sure to do your research into the CBD extract company and where they source their hemp in order to determine if it is what you are looking for.
The process for a CBD company or hemp farm to become Certified Organic by the USDA can take a lot of time, money, and patience. But it can be well worth it if the company’s aim is to provide the highest quality CBD products on the market, made with the safest practices. If you’re a discerning CBD customer, take a look at some USDA Certified Organic CBD products. They might be a natural fit for you as well as for the environment!
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