In this CBDA guide we will outline what to look for when buying CBDA products, what we have found in our market research, and some top CBDA oil products.
CBDA, cannbidiolic acid, is the parent cannabinoid to CBD found in the hemp flower. CBD has seen much more market adoption because conventional purification processes use heat, and destroy the acidic cannabinoids that are normally found in the plant. However, as CBDA health benefits are becoming more widely known, the hemp oil industry has started to focus on this unique set of acidic cannabinoids, such as CBDA, CBGA, and CBDVA.Guide to our report
- What is CBDA and what are acidic cannabinoids?
- Why choose CBDA?
- How to buy CBDA
- Market research on CBDA oil
- CBDA oil market conclusions
- Best CBDA oil products
What is CBDA and what are acidic cannabinoids?
Acidic cannabinoids are the natural cannabinoids found in hemp plants, and are typically converted from CBDA to CBD or CBGA to CBG during purification. The acidic cannabinoids can be maintained if the purification process does not involve heat, or if there is no purification process at all (Raw Hemp oil). Unpurified Raw hemp oil can be rich in cannabinoids, but is often bitter due to the lack of purification. Some new technologies have allowed for the purification of acidic cannabinoids, such as CBDA and CBGA, and provide much better tasting tinctures.
Why choose CBDA?
CBDA is found to have over 700% better absorption than CBD, which means it potential health benefits can be that much greater. There is a growing body of research showing that CBDA can help with nausea, anxiety, and inflammation. This new class of acidic cannabinoids may replace the conventional decarboxylated (e.g. CBD, CBG) cannabinoids as the best in class for hemp health benefits.
How to buy CBDA
When deciding to buy CBDA, it is important to review the CoA (Certificate of Analysis) from the seller. Here is a guide to understanding how to read a CoA using the 5 pillar method. Briefly, reviewing the 5 main testing items are potency, solvents, heavy metals, pesticides, and microbial. Below is our market research findings for CBDA tinctures, and some of the top brands for CBDA oil.
Market research on CBDA oil
We surveyed the top 33 companies based on Google searches that were selling CBDA tinctures online. A lot of online retailers are reselling CBDA tinctures from other companies, and there are a lot fewer companies that sell CBDA than CBD. This is most likely due to fewer customers who are aware of CBDA compared to CBD, and the difficulty in purifying CBDA from the hemp plant.What did the market research find about the accuracy of CBDA amount?
- 70% of all the companies listed a CoA for their CBDA oil product.
- 45% of companies did not list the amount of cannabinoids on their product.
- 28% of companies that listed the CBDA amount on the bottle had less than the listed amount (we used a 15% difference for the cutoff).
Not listing the amount of CBDA oil in the tincture is problematic for customers, since they will not be able to tailor their optimal CBDA dose amount which is needed since everyone’s body is different.
Most CBDA oil sellers lack good product testing
After compiling the CoA’s for the CBDA oil products, we assessed how well the companies tested their final product. Using the 5 Pillar Method, we found that most of the industry did not provide adequate testing transparency for their product.
- All companies that did list a CoA had their CBDA oil tested for potency.
- 35% of companies with a CBDA CoA tested for pesticides.
- 30% of companies with a CBDA CoA tested for residual solvents
- 30% of companies with a CBDA CoA tested for heavy metals.
- 43% of companies with a CBDA CoA test for microbial contamination.
Overall, this means that on average only 30% of all CBDA oil retailers listed and had full product testing for their tinctures!
What is the average cost of CBDA?
We found that in tinctures, the listed average cost of CBDA oil was 0.12$/mg. This was performed by dividing the cost of the bottle by the total amount of CBDA listed on their label. However, we also wanted to check the actual cost of CBDA oil, and found that it was 0.14$/mg. This is not a big difference, and we obtained this value by dividing the reported CoA CBDA amount by the bottle cost.
Note: There is a wide variety of prices, we have seen the cost as low as 0.05$/mg to as high as 0.30$/mg.
CBDA oil market conclusions
CBDA oil research is starting to pick up steam as researchers are learning of the benefits of CBDA compared to CBD. Some highlights from the CBDA study report:- Check that the CBDA oil label lists the amount of CBDA in the bottle.
- Make sure to check for a complete CoA that has all 5 of the important tests.
- Shop around, the most expensive product is not always the best.
Best CBDA oil products
To determine the best CBDA oils in the space, we looked at the products CoA and prices and have listed some of the top contenders.
NaturalDos – Natural Spectrum CBDA Tincture 1000mg, Orange Zest
Pros: Cons:
-Most concentrated CBDA -Mild CBDA taste
-Best CBDA price per mg
-Multiple flavors and sizes
-Complete acidic profile
-Complete CoA with no contamination
-Accurate cannabinoid label
BlueBird Botanicals – Extra Strength Complete CBD + CBDA Oil
Pros: Cons:
-Mixture of CBD and CBDA -No CBDA only option
-Complete CoA with no contamination
-Accurate cannabinoid label
The CBDistillery – Raw Synergy CBDA + CBD 1:1 Tincture – 1000mg
Pros: Cons:
-Mixture of CBD and CBDA -No CBDA only option
-Complete CoA with no contamination
-Competitive price
-Accurate cannabinoid label
Healer CBD – CBDA Oil Drops
Pros: Cons:
-High CBDA content -No flavors
-Complete CoA with no contamination
-Accurate cannabinoid label
HomeTown Hero – CBDA + CBGA Tincture
Pros: Cons:
-Contains CBDA and CBGA -No CBDA only option
-Contains CBD and CBG
-Competitive price for total cannabinoids
-Complete CoA with no contamination
-Accurate cannabinoid label
Should you buy CBDA oil?
There are competitive prices for high quality CBDA oil, so no need to pay too much. If you benefit from CBD oil, it is worth it to try CBDA oil as well as you may see enhanced effects.
Let us know how you liked the article, and if you would like to see anything specific for CBDA or other acidic cannabinoids.