Can You Buy CBD Oil On Amazon In 2023?

Have you ever looked for CBD oil on Amazon?

If so, you’re not alone. Buying stuff from Amazon has become commonplace for almost all of us. The perks of Amazon prime coupled with the worlds most extensive assortment…What’s not to love?

There are thousands of results at your fingertips by just entering the words buy CBD Oil Amazon UK into Google, or better still just CBD oil into Amazon.

So can you buy CBD oil on Amazon which is genuine? Yes, in all likelihood you can, but it’s more complicated than just landing on a page and clicking add to cart.

Now before we jump right into why that is I want to outline that I used to work at Amazon for 6.5 years in the UK HQ in my past life.

Having this knowledge is the main reason why I would never suggest anyone attempt to buy CBD oil on Amazon at this moment in time.

Not that I hate Amazon or anything, far from it – I spend way too much on there even now I don’t work there.

Let’s jump into exactly why Amazon is NOT the place to buy CBD.

Trading In CBD Oil On Amazon Isn’t Permitted

When buying CBD from Amazon, you are probably not aware, but the substance is explicitly banned on the website in respect to ingestible hemp products. Note – this policy does not apply to non-ingestible hemp such as CBD topicals, which Amazon retail has started selling directly to consumers.

I’ve took a screenshot of the page outlining what is banned for sale on Amazon in the dietary supplements category via the link above for you to see:

Amazon is a marketplace

Now for some context: Amazon is a marketplace, meaning it connects buyers and sellers. 

Along with its retail arm which lists products on the site (so you can buy directly from Amazon themselves or a seller). As a result of the internal rules regarding cannabinoids, the retail division of Amazon will never trade in ingestible CBD themselves, as long as their policy forbids it.

So, if you do buy CBD, it is going to come from a third party seller who can create a listing without going through any checks at all. 

The CBD Oil Industry is emerging

The CBD oil industry is just entering the mainstream, and with any new emerging industry, some people will look to make a quick buck by deceiving others through misinformation.

The CBD market is no exception, hell it’s a prime example of why you should do your homework before buying a product you put into your body.

The CBD oil market isn’t regulated, and anyone can sell you a bottle labelled as CBD without anyone checking what it contains, meaning unless you know what to look for your bottle of CBD could be a bottle of crushed up hemp seeds with no CBD.

But before we dive into how you can check if a product is what it says it is, let’s clear up one thing first:

Hemp Oil isn’t CBD Oil

Amazon explicitly calls out that products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are banned from the website, and neither sellers nor Amazon retail can sell it. 

If you’ve searched for CBD oil on Amazon, you might have noticed that while there are pages and pages of search results, but there isn’t a single one which says “CBD oil”.

Instead, you will see several pseudonyms used in place of CBD such as hemp extract, hemp oil, and so on.

While hemp extract is technically the right substitute term and genuine hemp extract does contain CBD it’s more about the fact that you cannot be sure that the product you are looking at contains CBD and if so how much it contains.

Hemp oil is just cold-pressed hemp seeds, which contain no CBD at all.  

As a consumer, it can be challenging to assert which product is hemp oil and which is CBD oil labelled as hemp oil to avoid a takedown form the Amazon algorithms. 

As the products are banned, CBD is sold under different synonyms, such as hemp oil, hemp, hemp seed. Looking at the CBD listings, it’s pretty clear what these products are from a customer point of view. Regardless of the disguise, you can quickly tell a product is supposed to contain x amount of CBD and the pricing makes it appear like you are getting a great deal!

This is why you need to see a product’s third-party testing certificates regardless of where you are buying CBD from.

You’re probably wondering what those are?… Hold on we are getting to it.

If you buy CBD oil on Amazon it’s unlikely to be third party tested

The CBD industry is snowballing, and in such a growing market, opportunities to short change people are everywhere.

Unfortunately, there are a growing number of people looking to take advantage of the green rush by selling products which do not contain what they label suggests they do, or worse still not contain any CBD at all.

This issue works two ways with either a problem in the supply chain or an Amazon seller just looking to make a quick buck by mislabelling a product as hemp extract. 

Where the problem is often top-down, unscrupulous intermediaries supply individuals who have heard about CBD and want to set up a business to get involved in the growing market.

These new business owners are often unaware of the fact the market is unregulated, and anyone can sell you a bottle of snake oil labelled as CBD. 

Brands buying the oils off intermediary sources without sending the product off for testing at a third party often results in poor customer experiences. 

There is also a darker side to it, where brands can sell mislabelled products at a price which if you work in the industry you know is unattainable even at wholesale pricing. 

Or where a brand sells a product that isn’t thoroughly tested, and it ends up containing contaminants, these aren’t just stories either. It’s happened on multiple occasions, including via the most extensive UK review of CBD oils finding that most do not contain what they say they do.

All in all, as you cannot see copies of third-party test results, you cannot be sure what the product contains.

Do you want to take that gamble with something you consume?

Bottom Line

Sourcing genuine, safe, and traceable CBD isn’t an easy task.

When I started this business, finding the right source was difficult, and it took a while. But, trustworthy brands and sources will always be transparent as they are aware of the kinks in the industry.

Regardless of where you buy from, it’s vital to check for third party tests relating to the batch you are buying, which cost thousands of pounds when aggregated. Cheap CBD can be tempting, but be aware without these certifications you might be risking your health.