At the cutting edge of the CBD oil industry are those manufacturers that are involved in selective breeding to develop specialized strains of high CBD and low THC hemp.
The more we learn about the potential health benefits of the various cannabinoids present in cannabis, the more it seems that targeted balance ratios of different compounds present in the plant may be particularly helpful for certain medical conditions.
One of the companies at the forefront of the development of new strains and promoting the research into their effects is CW Hemp.
Review Summary
Established Brand, Premium Quality CBD
My Rating:
Coupon Code: "CBDGEEK"
About The Company
In 2012, brothers Joel, Jesse, Jordan, Jared, Josh and Austin Stanley developed the now famous “Charlotte’s Web” strain of cannabis by crossbreeding marijuana with industrial hemp. The result was a low THC but high CBD strain that made global news after it was used to successfully treat Charlotte Figi, a little girl with a severe form of childhood epilepsy known as Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS).
In the years that followed, the brothers became vocal advocates for the healing potential of cannabis, and Charlotte’s success story has been featured on several respected news outlets including CNN, 60 Minutes, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
The brothers also founded CE Hemp, a line of CBD products developed from their proprietary strain. Around the same time, they founded a non-profit, Realm of Caring, dedicated to research, education and advocacy in the CBD and medical cannabis realms.
Charlotte's Web Products
Charlotte's Web CBD Oil Review
The hemp oil tinctures at CW Hemp are formulated with their full spectrum extract from their proprietary strain of high CBD hemp known as “Charlotte’s Web.”
In a bit of a departure from the standard product labeling in the industry, each bottle is marked with a certain amount of hemp oil extract, but the exact dose of CBD in each bottle or serving is not listed. Since extract can have varying amounts of CBD, even from batch to batch, this can make it hard to know the exact dosing with their products.
They get high levels of customer satisfaction on the taste of their chocolate mint flavor. in addition, they keep ingredients simple with nothing more than their hemp extract, carrier oil, and flavorings.
Hemp Extract Oil – The ingredients include just their hemp oil plus flavoring (mint chocolate, or olive oil). 30ml or 100ml bottle.
Hemp Extract Oil Plus – Double the strength of the regular hemp extract oil.
Hemp Extract Oil Advanced – The most concentrated form of their full spectrum hemp oil extract.
Charlotte's Web CBD Capsules
Available in 15mg or 35mg of hemp extract per capsule, (note, this is not the mg of CBD), each capsule includes a full range of cannabinoids and terpenes naturally found in the Charlotte’s Web strain of cannabis.
It is not clear from the product labeling if the capsules are vegan-friendly and/or gluten-free
Topicals
Hemp Infused Cream
Each 2.5-ounce tube of this cream contains 750mg of hemp extract along with revitalizing and itch soothing ingredients Vitamin B5, coconut oil, aloe, arnica and shea butter.
In addition, this silky-smooth lotion has moisturizing properties from linoleic acid and apricot kernel oil.
Hemp Infused Balm
This formula includes 150mg of hemp extract in each .5-ounce jar, along with a delightful scent from natural essential oils.
Pet Products
The manufacturer promotes their CBD pet tincture for dogs to promote hip and joint support and relieving stress.
The carrier oil used is MCT coconut oil, considered safe for pets. Each ml of the tinctures contains approximately 1mg of hemp oil extract.
My Verdict
CW Hemp has been around for a while and the Stanley Brothers have been active and vocal members of the CBD community, helping to raise awareness and develop the genetics of high CBD strains. While they have a strong reputation for quality and trustworthiness, I did find a few problems with their site that caused me to lower their overall rating.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Family Owned, Colorado Based
Founded by the Stanley Brothers, this is a family owned operation that uses local sourcing and manufacturing in Colorado. They have a strong corporate culture of promoting social responsibility in their labor practices.
Strong Industry Reputation
Because of their strong outreach efforts, CW Hemp has a strong reputation in the industry. They have been advocates for patients such as their namesake Charlotte Figi who have struggled to obtain legal sources of high quality CBD oil due to various laws and regulations at state and federal levels.
Seed to Bottle Control
CW Hemp developed and owns the Charlotte’s Web cannabis strain, specifically bred for it’s high CBD and low THC composition. They are the only ones that are producing CBD products from this specific strain.
Cons
Lack of Third Party Testing
While they have a tremendous reputation in the CBD world, unfortunately CW Hemp does not offer third party testing on their products in a way that is readily available for potential customers on their website (as of 7/18/18 when I accessed the site).
As a leader in the industry, I would like to see them standing by their product and setting a standard for other rising CBD companies. Although I think there is plenty of reason to trust the quality of the product, CBD consumers deserve to see third party testing on the products they buy.
Inadequate Dosing Information on Products
If you have researched the CBD oil industry as much as I have, you know that the standard for product labeling includes a total CBD count in mg for each serving size and total unit. Unfortunately, CW Hemp does not label their products in this way.
Instead, they have listed the volume of liquid in each bottle, and the total mg of hemp extract found in each. However, because the percentage of CBD can vary greatly by production method and even from batch to batch, this does not help a customer make sure they are getting a known and consistent CBD dose.
Organic? Extraction Methods?
CW Hemp doesn’t make it easy to learn if their hemp products are grown organically, or what extraction methods they use to obtain their hemp extract. This is just something that most informed CBD users want to know before spending their money on CBD health products.
Lack of Ingredient Listing
The full ingredient list for products give customers the power to avoid ingredients they may be sensitive to. For example, it is unclear if their capsules contain gelatin…or if they are vegan friendly. Also, the carrier oil they use in their tinctures is unclear from the product listings (as of 7/18/18).
Charlotte's Web Coupon Code
Use code CBDGEEK to get 10% off your order
