UK TOP 8
Where to Buy CBD Oils

Paul James Updated on December 23, 2024 Affiliate Disclosure Some links are specifically formatted for which we may receive a commission on resulting sales or clicks from affiliate partners (“Affiliate Links”).

CBD oil is a new market in the UK, but there are lots of brands already out there. We’ve developed a list of the best CBD oils in the UK.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is still fairly new in the United Kingdom, however, it’s recently becoming just as popular as it is with the rest of the world. With the market still in its infancy, it can be difficult to tell where to get high-quality products.

As with any industry, the CBD market is filled with competition, yet it lacks the proper regulation to differentiate good companies from the bad. Luckily, the UK has taken some extra measures to ensure users are accessing safe and effective CBD.

With that, we’re here to review the eight best CBD oils that you can get in the UK. If you’re new to this industry, we’ll also inform you of what to look for when buying CBD online.

How to Buy CBD Oil in the UK

The most convenient way to purchase CBD in the UK is online. There are a number of e-shops located in the UK, throughout Europe, and in other countries that provide effective products. Online retail also allows you to look deeper into a company, from its ethics to its manufacturing practices.

If you prefer purchasing a variety of CBD products, you’ll want to check out stores like HempElf that provide a wide selection of CBD goodies from various brands.

You may have seen CBD popping up in supermarkets and retail shops around you in the last few years. Whether it’s health retailers like Boots and Holland & Barrett, supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury’s, vape stores, or even standalone CBD shops, these products are likely all around you.

The only difficulty is that the CBD industry remains highly unregulated. With that, many disreputable companies have hit the marketplace selling ineffective and low-quality products. Shopping online just makes it easier to weed out those bad CBD brands — especially in the early stages of this industry.

To make your search a little easier, we’ve developed a list of the top eight best CBD oil brands that ship to the UK.

What Should You Look for When Buying CBD Products?

Just like the United States, CBD oil in the UK remains unregulated. With that, a number of shady businesses have entered the marketplace selling low-quality and often ineffective products. For this reason, it’s important to have criteria when shopping for CBD oil online in the UK.

  • Certificate of Analysis (CoA) – One way brands ensure their products are safe and pure is by running them through an unbiased third-party lab test. These reports determine a number of aspects of the CBD, including its cannabinoid count and whether it contains contaminants such as pesticides.
  • Customer Service – Whether you’re new to CBD or have been in the market for some time, it’s understandable if you have questions about a company and its products. Their customer service is a key indicator of how much they care about their consumers.
  • Extraction Method and Type – There are several different ways you can extract CBD from the hemp plant. Some of these extraction methods can leave nasty contaminants. For this reason, it’s important that a company follows industry-standard practices such as CO2 extraction. Furthermore, CBD can come in three different extract types:
    • Full-Spectrum contains all of hemp’s cannabinoids
    • Broad-Spectrum contains all of hemp’s cannabinoids except for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
    • CBD Isolate is purely CBD and no other cannabinoid
  • Hemp Source – Since CBD is extracted from hemp, it’s important that a company has a good source. Personally, we prefer brands that source organically grown hemp from local farmers.
  • Ingredients – CBD oil generally doesn’t contain too many ingredients — typically just the hemp extract with a carrier oil such as MCT coconut oil. Still, it’s in your best interest to look at the ingredients within each of these products to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
  • Potency – The strength of a CBD product is measured out in milligrams (mg). This will become extremely important when trying to figure out the right dosage for you. While there are lots of factors that play a role in dosing, we typically advise newcomers to start with a lower strength (5mg to 30mg per dose).

 

It may also be worth your time to compare one company’s prices to another. Admittedly, cheap CBD oil isn’t always the best quality.

A Brief Legal History of CBD in the UK

Cannabidiol was actually never considered illegal in the United Kingdom. Back in 1971, cannabis was classified as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. That law is referring to the recreational cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is derived from marijuana. This is the cannabinoid that’s associated with psychoactive effects (or a “high”) and was considered illegal.

However, hemp contains a low amount of THC (0.2% or less in accordance with UK law) that cannot easily be separated from the plant. For this reason, it was never considered an illegal substance.

In 1993, EU-approved hemp was re-legalized for cultivation as long as farmers obtained a license from the Home Office. Unfortunately, there remained very few regulations controlling industrial hemp and with that, there’s been a lot of confusion as to the legality behind selling and buying CBD oil.

On 13th February 2020, the UK Food Standards Agency released a set of regulations that classified CBD as a novel food. Due to this, all products that were on the market after 31st March 2020 required a validated submission (or an approved novel foods application). If a brand could not obtain this, its products were removed from the market.

This new regulation is to ensure the quality and safety of CBD products in the British market. Furthermore, there’s much hope that this new regulation will help clarify the laws surrounding the industry.


Paul James

Paul James is a seasoned cannabis and CBD writer and expert. He is a mental health blogger who advocates CBD as a natural alternative to prescription medications. You can read more about this and other natural alternatives on his blog: https://bedlamite.co/."

Frequently Asked Questions

You can buy CBD over the counter in health retailers such as Boots and Holland & Barrett, supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury’s, vape stores, and standalone CBD shops.