This L.A. Weekly comparison is brought to you by the Physicians for Natural Pain Relief (PNPR). The trials referenced in this post were generously funded and paid for by the Physicians for Natural Pain Relief (PNPR), a California-based organization led by Dr. Leo Cooke.
The PNPR’s primary mission is working to address the opioid crisis at the root – working to provide Americans with natural, effective solutions to manage chronic pain symptoms to end reliance on prescription painkillers.
We’d like to take a moment to acknowledge and recognize the PNPR for their role in making this comparison possible.
The days of popping habit-forming pharmaceutical painkillers to manage symptoms are gone.
With so many patients turning to CBD oil as a natural, side-effect free alternative to prescription painkillers, you may be wondering…
What is the best CBD oil for pain?
Our review team spent $2,000 buying 18 different CBD products to find out just that.
To our surprise, most products were complete duds, doing nothing at all to improve pain symptoms.
As we later found out, most CBD oils aren’t made for pain – they are “generalist” CBD oils that target and improve many areas like sleep quality and immunity – each in a small way.
…but that’s often not enough to experience true pain relief, especially for chronic and more acute cases.
There were, however, two brands that stood out specifically for pain management, and another worth mentioning for their unique product line.
Here are our top 3 picks for the best CBD oil for pain after seven weeks of testing:
- Our Top Pick for Pain: Royal CBD’s 1000mg Full Spectrum CBD Oil
- Runner Up: Gold Bee’s 1000mg CBD Oil Tincture
- Third Finalist: Martha’s Road – CBD Oil Drops for Pain
Best CBD Oils for Pain
It’s no secret why Royal CBD is a staple among chronic pain patients. This brand outperformed all others in our user tests, with a 92% satisfaction rating.
What Our Product Testers Say
What Customers Say
Source: Google Reviews for Royal CBD.
Source: Royal CBD’s Website.
With a vocal customer base and raving reviews, we had high expectations for Royal CBD. After all, with so many users on online forums and chronic pain swearing by their products, was the hype justified?
But, after two months of testing CBD brands – and our editor himself is now a daily user of their 1000mg CBD oil – Royal CBD came out on top as the #1 best CBD oil for pain in our tests.
Royal CBD’s full spectrum extracts contain a series of beneficial terpenes and cannabinoids – working synergistically to provide a stronger pain relieving effect.
Royal CBD is a well-known name on chronic pain forums and online communities, and we think you’ll agree that there is no better formula for pain.
The cannabinoids and terpenes in Royal CBD’s formula work to improve absorption, improve the duration of CBD’s benefits, and fight oxidative and tissue damage often associated with chronic pain.
Royal CBD’s products are made from CO2 extracted CBD — the gold standard in extraction. The manufacturers of this oil didn’t cut any corners, opting for MCT oil as the carrier oil and premium CBD sourced from locally-grown licensed industrial hemp.
Noteworthy features:
- Voted #1 in potency & effectiveness in our tests
- Made with high-grade hemp sourced locally from the United States
- Premium ingredients and third party lab-tested formulas
- Additional beneficial cannabinoids: CBC, CBG and various terpenes
- 30-day money back guarantee
Our take on Royal CBD Oil:
At 1000mg per bottle, this oil clocks in at around 33 mg/mL CBD — great for those with pain as we usually require a stronger dose to manage their chronic pain symptoms.
With its full spectrum extracts, raving reviews, and award-winning formula for pain, we think you’ll agree that Royal CBD is the best CBD oil for pain. And, with a 30-day money back guarantee, you can try it yourself risk free.
A victim of its own success, Gold Bee’s line of artisanal CBD products are a match for pain relief and symptom management – that is, if they are in stock. The company plans to restock next in February 2020, so sit tight.
What Our Product Testers Say
What Customers Say
Source: Google Reviews for Gold Bee CBD.
A small artisanal operation based out of sunny California, two brothers started Gold Bee CBD with a mission: to help bring natural pain relief to their mother, who had been struggling with arthritic pain for all of her life. Two years later, their formulas have risen to the top of the CBD ranks locally, with many in our community wondering where they can get their hands on this highly praised full-spectrum CBD oil.
The good news is that the product was a hit among chronic pain patients and CBD-fanatics alike, but that success came at a cost, with the brothers selling out of their full CBD supply within just weeks of launching.
Gold Bee’s full spectrum extracts contain both additional cannabinoids and terpenes which make the formula a potent option for those seeking relief. They’re made in a small lab, each bottle given a quality control check before leaving their small warehouse.
While we were lucky enough to get our hands on this locally-made CBD oil from the brothers themselves, those who don’t have a stock of their own will have to wait until the company re-launches their website in February of 2020.
The company is working hard over the next several weeks to iron out the growing pains and work to expand their operation online to a point where they can keep up with the ever-increasing demand.
Gold Bee – like the #1 brand – uses a premium quality CO2 extraction in their hemp-derived CBD solutions and MCT as their carrier oil, making it a perfect option for those looking to leverage the synergistic effects for maximum relief.
Noteworthy features:
- Voted #2 in potency & effectiveness in our tests
- Made from locally-sourced U.S. hemp
- Small, artisanal operation based in sunny L.A.
- Modern product packaging & customer experience
- Responsive, friendly customer support
Our take on Gold Bee’s CBD Oils:
If you’re able to get your hands on Gold Bee’s CBD product line, we’d recommend that you stock up, as they’re known for long wait lists. Gold Bee is one of the two brands that we’d recommend to our friends and family if they were looking for a CBD oil recommendation for pain management.
Martha’s Road is a Colorado-based CBD oil manufacturer known for their wide range of flavors. With their product line having everything from cotton candy and strawberry to mint and citrus, they’re bound to carry a flavor you love. While their drops aren’t as potent as most and they come at a much higher price than competitors, their full spectrum status makes them an option to consider for those who prioritize flavor and are looking for a tasty way to ease more minor aches.
What Our Product Testers Say
Martha’s Road is a Colorado-based team of CBD and hemp advocates looking to pave the future for natural pain remedies. Their team consists of research and development engineers working We’re inclined to think that they’re still working on tweaking their formula, as the price per mg of CBD compared to others is very high – and you’ll likely be spending a pretty penny if you use their drops for pain regularly.
The company has made a name for itself in certain Colorado suburbs and is featured on nearly every store botanical and apothecary store shelf in town, but has only recently created an online presence.
Noteworthy features:
- Voted #3 in potency & effectiveness in our tests
- Grown and extracted from Colorado-grown industrial hemp
- Diverse line of flavors
- Great for Colorado-natives looking for a local vendor
Our take on Martha’s Road CBD Oils:
What sets this company apart is their flavors – good for those who are sensitive and want different options to mask the otherwise earthy taste of CBD (we personally don’t mind it.) While a smaller brand, if flavor is the most important factor for you, then Martha’s Road could be just what you’re after.
Features to Look for in the Best CBD Oil for Pain
Extraction Method
Extracting cannabidiol from the hemp plant isn’t easy. But more importantly, extracting it using the wrong method can provide you with a low-quality extract. For example, if you want a full-spectrum product, the THC level has to be below 0.3 percent. Anything above that and your product will be illegal and classified as a narcotic.
By far the best CBD extraction method is using supercritical CO2. First, you place regular CO2 in a chamber and introduce heat and pressure to it. Once it goes supercritical, you release it onto the hemp plant in a different chamber. Finally, after some time has passed, you loosen the pressure and allow the CO2 to evaporate, leaving only the extract.
Naturally, this method is expensive and time-consuming. However, the extract you get is pure and extremely potent. If you were to use other procedures, such as the solvent method and ice water method, you would get low-quality extracts with next to no potency. Sadly, a lot of newcomers to the CBD market use these methods to save time. That’s why you must always make sure that your CBD oil of choice contains CBD extracted using supercritical CO2.
Hemp Source
The best CBD extracts come from homegrown, natural hemp. If the manufacturer uses any GMO hemp, you’re better off not buying their products.
However, growing hemp on a farm is not enough in and of itself. The manufacturers have to approach the cultivation carefully. Hemp is a natural bioaccumulator, i.e. it receives the traits of the micro-organisms from the soil it grows in. In other words, if you use pesticides to maintain your hemp crops, the CBD from these plants will contain some pesticide molecules.
Spectrum
Most CBD products contain a different “range” of trace cannabinoids. That’s why experts place CBD supplements on a cannabinoid spectrum and classify them into three distinct groups:
- Full-spectrum
- Broad-spectrum
- CBD Isolates
Full-spectrum products contain more than just CBD, for example. They also have lots of trace cannabinoids, as well as a legal amount of THC. The main difference between them and broad-spectrum products is that a broad-spectrum supplement will have absolutely no THC whatsoever. And finally, we have CBD isolates. As their name suggests, they contain nothing but pure CBD.
Each of these groups has its own set of benefits and flaws. For example, full-spectrum products will appear on a drug test, even if the amount of THC is as small as it is. That can cause a problem for people whose employers perform regular drug tests. On the other hand, broad-spectrum products and CBD isolates aren’t as potent or fast as full-spectrum ones. They’ll help you with your issues, but it’ll take a long time, which isn’t great if you suffer from severe pain and need immediate relief.
Bonus Features
At the moment, there are more outspoken vegans than at any other time in human history. If you are one of them, you might want to grab a bottle of vegan-only CBD oil. Moreover, you can get gluten-free CBD oil options with no artificial sweetening.
And speaking of sweet stuff, another bonus feature is having as many flavors as possible. Imagine taking a tincture for your chronic pain and the tincture tastes like cherry or watermelon. As stated above, variety is always a plus in our book. In addition, any product that’s effective AND fun is a winner.
Final Thoughts
Our list of five best CBD oils is a decent starting point for anyone who wants to get some much-needed pain relief. The science might still be on edge when it comes to CBD supplements, but hundreds of people can’t be wrong when they say that CBD oil helped them. Be a part of the exclusive pain-no-more club and get your own bottle of CBD oil today.
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