The 7 Best CBD Oils and Tinctures in the UK (2020)

Cannabidiol or CBD is a compound derived from cannabis plants. When extracted and processed, it can be turned into products in the form of CBD oils, CBD gummies, CBD creams and even CBD e-liquid. With many touted health benefits, it's no surprise the UK CBD market is rapidly increasing.

This buyer's guide discusses the 7 best CBD oil brands in the UK so that you can match a product to your specific needs in terms of symptom relief, flavor, and variety.

The Best CBD Oils & Tinctures in the UK

Here's a list of the 7 best CBD oil brands in the UK - based on product testing, overall customer reviews and feedback.

1. Blessed CBD

Blessed CBD has been voted the best CBD oil brand in the UK on multiple occasions (by the likes of Reader's Digest, Discover, Express, Observer and Daily Record. Their dosages run from 500mg up to 1800mg, which should give you the kick you need no matter your ailment (if it doesn’t, you probably need to look for a different supplement).

Their CO2 extraction process is refined by using small batches that can be easily controlled and tested. They use a thorough lab testing method with third-party researchers to guarantee that their products are free of harmful metals and chemical additives. These third-party lab results are provided with every order for peace of mind.

Their organic hemp CBD oil tinctures (which come in 10ml bottles) are highly potent and come packed with an additional terpene profile, flavonoids and cannabinoids (such as CBDA, CBG, etc). The combined synergy of these cannabinoids working together in a full spectrum CBD oil also helps to unlock the sought after entourage effect.

Due to frequent discounts on their full-spectrum CBD products, verified high-quality testing procedures, and efficient delivery, they are our pick for the best overall brand of CBD oil available in the UK market in 2020 (and most likely 2021 too).

You won't be disappointed.

Click here to visit Blessed CBD's official website

2. CBD Pure

Despite being one of the smaller companies represented on this list, CBD Pure has a strict selection process in terms of the ingredients it uses in its CBD oil products to guarantee their potency.

Their third-party verification system is regulated for quality assurance to determine that their CO2 extraction process is effective and their ingredients are all organic. The labs check each batch for chemical additives, GMOs, fertilizers, pesticides, and any other additional harmful ingredients.

Though they only carry tinctures and capsules, they offer low and high strength dosages (100mg to 750mg) so that any experience level with CBD oil treatments can find something that works for them.

However, as they are located in the USA, shipping to the United Kingdom/Europe may take 3-4 weeks.

Click here to visit CBD Pure's official website

3. Excite CBD

Excite CBD is a vegan-friendly, premium supplement brand that offers its users a product that undergoes above-average testing and research procedures to ensure quality and potency.

The benefits of this in-depth research include available reports on the exact ingredients and extraction methods used to create their CBD oil products, which is perfect for those that are more particular about what they put in their bodies.

These premium testing methods come with a premium product price, but for the most health-conscious CBD users, it could be well worth it. Although new to the CBD industry in the UK, they seem to be making the right noises.

Click here to visit Excite CBD's official website

4. Select CBD

Despite originating in the United States, Select CBD is one of the highest quality CBD oil brands in the UK. Their full-spectrum products use the CO2 extraction method to produce a potent product from organic ingredients.

Uniquely, Select CBD gives its potential customers the option to view the third-party lab testing reports that verify the products’ purity, organic ingredients, THC content, and production methods. All you have to do is email them.

In addition, Select CBD infuses their products with essential oils to give you a range of options in terms of individualizing your pain and stress-relief regimen. Lavender infusion, for instance, creates an even more multimodal stress relief effect in their CBD tinctures, while also improving the taste and smell for those with sensitive palettes.

5. Love Hemp

Love Hemp is ideal for beginners that are just getting a taste for CBD oil products. In addition to being CO2 extracted and free of additives and GMOs like the best CBD brands, they offer low-strength doses to give people unused to the supplement’s effects a softer introduction.

They use Non-GMO hemp and guarantee low levels of THC in their 3% CBD oils. Due to their popularity with novices, they are popular worldwide, including in the UK. Their fast delivery times don’t hurt and lab reports are provided upon request.

Just don’t be fooled by their strange decision to sell their products through a third-party site. Love Hemp is perfectly legitimate, though it doesn’t look so at first. They're also one of the few brands that you can buy in UK high street shops such as Boots.

6. Holistic Hemp Scotland

Based in Scotland, Holistic Hemp handpicks all their cannabis flowers and has a unique extraction process compared to other brands. Rather than pulverize them at high pressure and heat, they refine their CBD on low temperatures to keep the oil as natural as possible (so they claim).

They only sell one hemp extract oil tincture (500mg CBD isolate) and their production processes aren’t as widely used as those of other brands. However, if you’re obsessed with natural ingredients, high-quality products and are looking for an alternative to normal manufacturing processes, Holistic Hemp may have what you’re looking for.

7. Bud and Tender

If you’re looking for a CBD hemp oil company that’s small and trendy, look no further than Bud and Tender. Unlike most of the top brands, which use the CO2 extraction method, Bud and Tender uses the ethanol extraction process.

If you’re still concerned with their methods, you can check their full reports, which they make available to the public.

Bud and Tender gives people who don’t like the normal taste of CBD a lighter, fruitier flavor option that makes it easier to digest. They’re smaller and newer than most brands on this list, but they are quickly becoming known not only for their tasty products but their exemplary online communication and customer service. We've been told they're working on broad-spectrum products, CBD vapes and CBD capsules for the future.

Some other notable mentions of CBD oil UK brands include Hempura (part of the Cannabis Trades Association), Provacan and CannWell.

An overview of CBD oil

Cannabidiol is a compound found in the cannabis plant, on which most hemp products are based. Unlike marijuana, however, CBD is not psychoactive – it won’t make you high. The reason is that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive component of cannabis, is extracted from the CBD during the manufacturing process.

This process, called supercritical CO2 extraction, isolates the cannabis compounds and combines them to give you what is called a “spectrum” of compounds that make CBD oil products potent and multifunctional.

Aside from processing the cannabis’ flowers and leaves to make the CBD oil, this process also refines the plant of any additives. These include heavy metals, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals. This is not only done for the consumers’ safety but the sake of a more potent CBD product.

If a brand does not claim to use CO2 extraction in their manufacturing or that the CBD oil is free of all additives, they may not be reputable (the products with the lowest prices often cut these corners –remember that in the case of all supplements, you get what you pay for). 

Look for manufacturing labels and reports to verify that the supplement you consume will be safe and effective.

The legal status of CBD oil in the UK

CBD oil is now legal in the UK. The laws essentially had to bend to the undeniable presence of a growing industry that would exist whether or not there were regulations in place.

The main requirement for a CBD product to be legally sold in the UK is its THC content: it has to be regulated below 0.2% to be sold as a health supplement. The reputable companies use CO2 extraction and remove THC close to 100% so there’s no danger of selling a psychotropic product that fails to meet UK health and food supplement guidelines. Refer to resources such as HerbMighty to stay in the loop with the latest cannabis and CBD trends.

What are the benefits of CBD oil?

Before taking CBD oil supplements, you should familiarize yourself with the uses and side effects. Here are a few benefits you can expect from taking a well-made CBD oil product.

Pain relief

Pain relief is the main draw to CBD oil products. By binding to your body’s neurotransmitters, CBD compounds give an overactive pain response system in your brain a break from activity. This doesn’t address the cause of your pain, but it allows your body to calm down.

Relaxation

By helping you maintain autoimmune and nervous system balance, CBD oil indirectly helps with depression or stress-related disorders. It does this mainly by treating inflammation, which is a leading cause and result of overactive stress. 

This can lead to modest benefits for sexual dysfunction, sleeping disorders, and other anxiety-related disabilities by taking CBD.

Side effects and drug tests

CBD that contains little to no THC is generally considered safe as a health and food supplement and non-addictive. However, certain side effects such as weight loss, appetite changes, diarrhea, or fatigue may occur.

So long as your CBD oil product doesn’t contain THC, it would not show up on drug tests. This is why it is especially important for those in public service or education fields who cannot fail a drug test to spend the extra dollar to get quality CBD products that have been tested by third parties and guaranteed to contain little or no CBD.

How should I take CBD oil?

CBD oil products take many forms, from oils to creams to cookies. Depending on your experience level with CBD products and the dosage you want to take, here are a few main ways to get the supplement into your system.

Oil tincture

This is the main supplement people are referring to when they say “CBD oil.” It comes with a bottle and dropper; the supplement is placed under your tongue and held there before swallowing. The amount of CBD content per dose varies by brand and price, but the bottles are usually 10ML.

Capsules

Those who don’t like the earthy, unique taste of the oil may find capsules a more familiar and palatable way to consume CBD oil. Those with more sensitive systems may prefer this method as well since the dosage is fixed.

Edibles

CBD gummies are a trend right now for those that want to take low doses of the CBD plant extract in compact, fruity snacks. Other foods like cookies exist to spice it up for you if this is your chosen method.

Vaping

E-liquid CBD is another form that has grown in popularity in recent years. Since vape pens cannot control the dosage as easily as a capsule, the benefits you gain may vary.

In addition, more research needs to be conducted on the long-term effects of vape pens and other e-liquids.

The Takeaway

As discussed, CBD oil has many potential benefits for those suffering from chronic pain conditions, anxiety disorders, neurological problems, or even skin conditions like psoriasis. Its ability to reduce inflammation and improve your body’s ability to regulate its natural processes makes it potentially beneficial for your whole system, regardless of your ailment.

We’ve compiled this list of the 7 best brands of CBD oil available for purchase in the UK in 2020 to help you sort through your options and choose the supplement that’s right for you. 

Blessed CBD is the top-rated brand on this list overall because of its refined extraction methods, excellent customer service, organic ingredients, and potent CBD oil products.

No matter which brand you choose, however, by checking their third-party testing procedures, manufacturing process, ingredients list, and purifying process, you can find a CBD supplement that is both healthy and potent. For those suffering from stress or pain, the extra dollar and extra research will be worth it.