Check the license and your state rules
In the US, hemp CBD is legal when the product holds 0.3% THC or less on a dry weight basis. That number comes from the 2018 Farm Bill. A seller that ships to all 50 states can still break state law. Some states ban CBD in food. Some states require a license for the seller. Check your state agriculture department before you pay.
Ask for the batch lab report
A seller that publishes a certificate of analysis (COA) from a third-party lab gives you something to check. The COA lists a batch number, a test date, and results for cannabinoid potency, pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, and microbials. Match the batch number on the COA to the batch number on the product you received. A COA with no batch number is a marketing page, not a test result.
Numbers to verify
- Total CBD in milligrams per container
- THC result in percent
- Batch number and test date
- Lab name and license number
- Pass or fail on each contaminant panel
Payment, shipping, and returns
Many card networks block CBD transactions. Sellers route around that with ACH transfers, digital wallets, or cash on delivery. Cash apps and crypto give you no chargeback right. Card payments do. If a seller takes only gift cards, crypto, or money orders, you carry the risk. Read the return policy and the list of states at checkout.
Pitfalls
- Health claims. The FDA has not approved CBD for pain, anxiety, or sleep. The FDA has approved one CBD drug, Epidiolex, for two seizure disorders. The FTC has sent warning letters to sellers that made disease claims.
- No COA, or a COA from the seller's own lab.
- No street address or phone number on the site.
- Prices far under market rate. Diluted oil and mislabeled potency are the common reasons.
- No stated THC result. Ask before you buy.
Where the transaction happens
Three channels sell CBD online: brand sites, multi-brand marketplaces, and state-licensed dispensaries. Brand sites control one supply chain and post one COA per batch. Marketplaces carry more products and less oversight. Dispensaries add state testing rules and age checks. Pick the channel that gives you a batch number.