Why Is CBD So Expensive?
If you’ve ever been involved in the purchase or sale of CBD products, you’ve likely asked, why is CBD so expensive? And you’ve probably heard a variety of buzz words thrown around to justify the cost of CBD: organic hemp farming, supercritical CO2 extractions, third-party lab tests. But what do these terms actually mean, and what do they have to do with the price of CBD products?
As one of many CBD companies within the larger CBD marketplace, we at CBD Choice believe it is imperative to discuss all of your pressing questions. And when tackling questions like – why is CBD so expensive? – the answer can depend on a variety of factors.
Let’s take a deeper look, discovering why the cost of CBD goods is as high as it is.
Justifying the Price: Why CBD Is So Expensive
The CBD market can be a potentially confusing place. Why? Because the cost of CBD varies significantly across companies. In addition, the quality of a particular product can increase the overall cost. The same goes for just about any industry: the better the product, the higher the price.
So why is CBD so expensive? And how did we get to the prices we see today?
For starters, a lot goes into making a high-quality CBD product. As you may already know, CBD Choice carries a variety of industry-leading brands. No matter the brand, every product derives from organic hemp farming practices and has undergone third-party lab tests to ensure purity and other factors. Why do these factors increase the overall price of CBD products?
How Organic Hemp Farming Affects the Cost of CBD
When thinking about any type of agriculture, where do you start? With (1) land and (2) seeds. And both of these can affect the price of CBD, believe it or not.
You see, there are three types of hemp seeds:
- CBD-rich hemp seeds.
- Food-grade hemp seeds.
- Fibrous hemp seeds.
Pretend you were planning to farm hemp and enter the CBD market. Which seeds would you plant? CBD-rich hemp seeds, of course! However, those CBD-rich seeds come with a higher price tag of their own: about 50 cents to $2.50 per individual seed. Both food-grade and fibrous hemp seeds can be bought at about $3 to $5 per pound. As you can see, CBD-rich seeds are astronomically more expensive, considering that one pound contains thousands of seeds.
In addition, land costs for organic hemp farming are estimated at about $1,280 per acre, per month. The machinery you’ll need to farm hemp costs about $800, the irrigation system costs about $4,500, and the drying barn (if you plan to process your own CBD) costs another $6,000.
In short: organic hemp farming is EXPENSIVE—however, the more care put into farming, the better the final CBD product. Unfortunately, utilizing organic practices (as well as avoiding chemical-laden pesticides) costs a pretty penny. Therefore, to account for high agricultural costs, the price of CBD also remains high.
Why Are Supercritical CO2 Extractions Expensive?
We’ve discussed the agricultural properties that account for the high cost of CBD, but it doesn’t stop there. Next, why is CBD so expensive from a processing perspective?
Most CBD products (unless otherwise stated) derive from what’s known as supercritical CO2 extraction. This is a complicated chemical process of removing the cannabinoids from the hemp plant, leaving behind all non-ingestible plant material. You can learn more about supercritical CO2 extractions on our Learn Center.
However, here’s the most important thing you need to know: CO2 extractions cost anywhere from $135,000 to $150,000 to conduct.
If CO2 extractions are so expensive, why use them? Supercritical CO2 extractions are some of the safest, most effective extraction methods in the CBD marketplace. Your CBD products should meet the highest quality standards, which means how your CBD is processed should also meet the highest quality standards.
Third-Party Lab Tests: Adding to the Cost of CBD
We’ve now discussed two parts of the CBD supply chain: farming and processing. Both of these factors contribute to the high price of CBD goods. However, there’s even more: third-party lab tests.
After CBD products have been created using CO2 extractions, the final products must be sent to third-party laboratories for testing. These labs are not affiliated with any CBD companies and do not profit from these lab tests, meaning they are entirely independent of the CBD market.
Furthermore, these lab tests show you that your CBD products are of the highest quality possible. Third-party lab tests tell you how much CBD is in your product, the amounts of other cannabinoids (like CBG and CBN) in your products, as well as if your products have been tainted with nasty chemicals or fillers. Third-party lab tests are the final line of defense between the manufacturing and sale of CBD products.
Plus, third-party lab tests can run in the $100s per individual test. CBD companies must test each batch of CBD oil, CBD edibles, CBD vape products, and so on. Over time, the cost of third-party testing adds up, increasing the overall cost of CBD for you.
Why Is CBD So Expensive: in Conclusion
As you can see, it costs A LOT to farm, manufacture, and test CBD products prior to sale. If you’re wondering, "why is CBD so expensive," this is likely the reason why. However, it’s important to remember that the high cost of CBD is indicative of the quality.
At CBD Choice, we only carry products from CBD companies we believe in. That means taking extra steps to ensure that you only receive the best products on the market, guaranteed.
