Is the Greatest CBD Oil Scam Happening Now on Amazon?

Amazon bars the sale of CBD-infused goods on its massive e-commerce site. However, a quick search for “CBD oil” in their search bar returns over 700 results. Furthermore, “hemp oil” returns over 4000 results. How can this be?

Believe it or not, Amazon is presently caught up in one of the biggest CBD oil scams we’ve ever seen. This CBD scam is replete with snake oil, fake lab tests, unlawful claims about “pure CBD,” and so much more. To make matters worse, it’s unclear if Amazon is aware of the CBD oil scam, or worse again, they’re secretly okay with it. But we’ll get to that later.

So Why is Amazon in the middle of a Huge CBD Oil Scam?

Amazon has the largest online customer base in the world. In general, companies use Amazon because they don’t have to work as hard to earn their customers. If you were able to advertise your products on Amazon successfully, you might never have to create your own e-commerce website, saving you a ton of time and money.

CBD companies are no exception, regardless of whether or not they can safely use Amazon’s network of customers. And if you want to compete in the CBD industry, you need customers.

However, if you’re a new manufacturer, how are you supposed to compete with CBD companies like CBDistillery and PureKana? These manufacturers have been around since the dawn of the CBD industry, gaining a loyal customer base along the way.

It’s this survival-of-the-fittest mindset that makes selling CBD-infused products on Amazon such an appealing option. You might not be able to compete with the likes of CBDistillery, but you’re sure able to take advantage of CBD’s popularity and sell to Amazon’s multi-million-user network.

Unfortunately, Amazon’s open-air black market for CBD oil attracts more than just young-gun CBD companies hoping to make it big in this industry. It also attracts CBD scammers: manufacturers who simply wish to make money, oftentimes selling fake CBD or THC-riddled products at the expense of your health and wellness.

How is this Happening?

First, it’s important to remember that the CBD industry is an up-and-coming market. As such, there’s a lot of money to be made, making the likelihood of a CBD scam much higher than a scam within another, less profitable industry.

In addition, the CBD industry isn’t yet regulated like other health enterprises (thank the FDA for that). Because of this, it’s sometimes easy for companies to create a CBD oil scam that fool consumers into purchasing snake oil.

Amazon “CBD”: Either Dishonest or Just a CBD Oil Scam

Because of Amazon’s anti-CBD rules, the products you’ll find on the e-commerce giant’s site do not explicitly state “CBD” in the product description. Instead, you’ll most often see products labeled as “hemp oil,” skirting Amazon’s legality lines.

According to a 2019 report by the Washington Post, 11 of 13 random “hemp oil” products on Amazon contained CBD, per lab tests from Evio Labs, which often acts as a third-party arbitrator on the quality of cannabis products. One of these 13 products also contained THC, the cannabinoid most commonly associated with marijuana. Imagine you’re looking for CBD on Amazon and end up getting high: this is the reality some Amazon consumers have learned the hard way.

As per the Washington Post report, real CBD companies might be rebranding their products to meet Amazon’s guidelines. If these pure CBD manufacturers omit any mention of CBD, they can usually get away with selling on Amazon. However, this practice is dishonest and does not make for an accountable business model. The CBD industry is still young, so abiding by accountable and honest business practices is essential to ensure future regulations, legality, and customer trust.

But Wait, the CBD Scam Gets Worse

Amazon’s CBD scam goes farther than real companies rebranding their products. Perhaps worse, there exist a great number of fake CBD companies within Amazon’s online catalog. These manufacturers employ any number of sketchy business practices to get your money, such as:

• Outright selling snake oil. Sketchy sellers will often sell plain hemp seed oil, which resembles CBD oil in taste but little else.
• Selling THC products rebranded as “hemp oil.”
• Selling synthetic cannabinoids instead of authentic CBD-infused oils.

When buying CBD on Amazon, you’re either getting authentic, pure CBD that’s marketed dishonestly, or you’re getting snake oil that contains no real CBD at all. We at CBD Choice believe it’s not worth the risk.

Snake Oil: Marketed Identical

If you cannot market your product honestly and authentically, why market that product at all? Based on the current direction of the CBD industry, combined with CBD’s increasing popularity, we believe that Amazon will eventually allow the sale of CBD-infused products.

But with the current state of Amazon’s “hemp oil” catalog, it’s difficult to discern pure CBD oil from off-brand snake oil. There is far too much risk in buying fake CBD, and other CBD scam products have shown a willingness for sketchy manufacturers to sell products that endanger consumers.

Just because you trust Amazon to sell you underwear and DIY furniture does not mean you should trust the e-commerce corporation with your health and wellness. If you buy CBD oil from the untrustworthy depths of Amazon’s marketplace, all you’re doing is funding this great CBD oil scam we’ve seen in this industry. Why? Because when fraudulent manufacturers get your money, they know that their CBD scam is working and continue marketing fake products.

How Can These Products Potentially Endanger Consumers?

When examining a CBD oil scam, one of the biggest risks is always what’s actually in your products. Genuine CBD companies – like all the brands we work with at CBD Choice – routinely subject their products to third-party lab testing. Third-party lab tests find adulterants, fillers, and unhealthy manufacturing byproducts, stopping these nasty chemicals from reaching consumers.

Third-party lab tests have become the forthright accountability meter for any CBD manufacturer. This lab testing is completed by companies like the previously-mentioned Evio Labs who receive no financial gain from fabricating lab reports.

However, because third-party lab tests are not required by law, fake CBD sellers can show you phony lab reports. These fake lab results might say that what you’re buying is 100 percent pure CBD or that the final CBD oil does not contain any adulterants. In reality, that same product might contain zero percent CBD and any number of impurities such as heavy metals, residual pesticides, solvents, and even high concentrations of THC.

These chemicals can have nasty side effects, harming your health and wellness. This practice is especially shameful because CBD users are most often trying to improve their health and wellness, not detriment their wellness regimen with CBD scam products.

The Importance of Buying from a Real CBD Vendor

Yes, you might be able to find real CBD on Amazon by reading reviews and examining products individually. However, the risk of falling victim to a CBD oil scam is far too high, especially considering the potential risks to your health.

When looking for a trusted CBD seller, always look to purchase from authentic CBD companies, not general e-commerce companies like Amazon. Sites like CBD Choice, where we only carry the most trusted brands and offer a variety of lab-tested CBD products, have your best interests in mind.

We sell CBD because we believe in its ability to influence our continued health and wellness, not because we just want to make money. Amazon CBD might sound like a great draw to devout Amazon users, but the downsides to your health are too high.