The CBD industry is one of the fastest-growing industries of our time. In 2018, it was valued at $4.6 billion. It was estimated to be $7.1 billion in 2019 and $9.3 billion in 2020. The industry is predicted to experience a 22.2 percent compounded annual growth rate through 2025.
These are huge numbers for an industry that was only formally legalized recently with the passage of the 2018 Hemp Farming Act. If you walked into a convenience store today, there is a good chance you will see at least one CBD product sold.
As with any industry, you get what you pay for. Gas station CBD products typically will not be as high of a quality as a CBD vendor who deals in nothing but CBD products. You can examine such a vendor here.
This article will give you a framework for choosing a reputable CBD vendor who sells nothing but high-quality products.
Does their website or storefront look professional?
First impressions mean a lot to a consumer. They make all sorts of assumptions about a business based on their first interaction with them. That first impression begins when they see the storefront, whether that is digital or brick-and-mortar.
Let’s be honest – you don’t think of quality when you buy something from a convenience store. You buy it because it is there and catches your eye, so you buy it impulsively. If you buy CBD from a physical storefront, make sure to go to a store that only sells CBD products or other botanicals.
If you buy from an online CBD vendor, make sure their website looks professional and functions well.
Are the staff knowledgeable about CBD?
If you purchase CBD from a general store, there is a good chance the staff won’t know much about it. When you purchase from a wellness store or dispensary, there is a much higher chance the staff will have extensive product knowledge.
For online vendors, read the company blog. If it is regularly updated with posts that educate the consumer with factual information, then you know they really know about the products they sell.
What do other people say about the vendor?
Reviews and online conversations between actual consumers are the best ways to learn about the quality of a company. Google and Yelp are two popular third party review platforms. Check to see if the vendor has any reviews of their products.
If you are buying from a physical store, look up the brand of product to find customer reviews. Companies with a lot of positive reviews are ideal, but the reality is people are much more motivated to leave a review based on a bad experience. Some excellent companies have very few positive reviews, but they also have no negative reviews.
Forums like Reddit are also a great place to see if there have been any conversations involving the vendor.
How extensive is their product offering?
Quality vendors often have a wide range of CBD products. General stores often only have 1 or 2 CBD products, such as gummies or CBD-infused liquid “relaxation” shots.
Look for a vendor that has several types of products, such as hemp flower, tinctures, gummies, etc. Make sure their CBD hemp flower selection encompasses several strains, with a mixture of indica, sativa, and hybrid strains.
What quality standards does the vendor adhere to?
Another fault with purchasing CBD products from a general store is they often don’t care much about quality. They most likely just looked for the cheapest wholesale supplier they could find.
Dispensaries and wellness shops will either sell a wholesale distributor’s branded products, or they will purchase at the private label wholesale label so they can distribute the product under their own brand.
Online vendors provide an advantage in that you are buying directly from a wholesale distributor. Look for vendors who test their products for cannabinoid content, terpenes, and contaminants.
How are the vendor’s prices?
It is important to shop around for a CBD vendor with fair prices. Since the industry has become so popular, some vendors have outrageous prices designed to take advantage of people.
The vendors with the best prices often have the most efficient supply chains. Vendors with high prices and low quantity amounts for sale often do not have a good supplier.
What are the vendor’s shipping and return policies?
Finally, you want to find a vendor who instills trust in you that you will get what you paid for in a timely manner.
Check to see if the vendor has a dedicated page on their website for their shipping and return policies. Make sure the company is willing to replace orders that were either wrong or not up to the customer’s expectations.
Now that you are armed with these seven questions to ask, you will be able to find a quality CBD vendor.
Story by Jen Reaney
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