According to the latest estimates, as many as 6 million people in the UK have tried CBD oil. This number is expected to grow further in the coming years as more Britons learn about this beneficial cannabis compound.

Unfortunately, there is one problem — due to a lack of regulation, the CBD industry is filled with misleading and low-quality products. One of the latest examples of deceptive CBD advertising is currently happening on Amazon — the largest online retailer in the world.

Before you hop on Amazon UK and purchase what you think is CBD hemp oil, be warned — it doesn’t actually contain CBD. Below are three reasons why you shouldn’t buy CBD hemp oil from Amazon.

CBD is Not Allowed on Amazon

If you take a look at Amazon UK’s seller information website, you’ll see that CBD and other cannabinoids are prohibited, which means you cannot sell them. This means that any “hemp oil” product you find on Amazon does not contain CBD or any other cannabinoid.

However, Amazon does allow sellers to list hemp seed oil — an oil that is pressed from hemp seeds. Hemp seed oil is NOT the same thing as the oil extracted from the hemp plant and does not contain any CBD. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped shady sellers from listing products they call “hemp oil” and passing it off as if it’s the same thing as CBD oil.

Indeed, a quick search for “CBD” or “CBD oil” on Amazon UK will bring up dozens of products. What you’ll quickly notice, however, is that none of them so much as mention CBD.

In other words, Amazon UK sellers who list “hemp oil” and claim that it has health benefits are misleading customers into thinking their products contain CBD.

Another way these sellers deceive buyers is by including the term “ full spectrum “ in the product name or description. This term is typically used to describe CBD oils that contain the complete range of beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds in hemp.

By using this term with hemp seed oil, these sellers are further tricking people into thinking they’re buying CBD-rich hemp oil.

Amazon Hemp Product Sellers Make Dubious Health Claims

This brings us to the second major issue with the hemp oils listed on Amazon: medical claims. Many if not most of these products claim to relieve anxiety, inflammation, pain, and provide other health benefits.

This is problematic for two reasons. First off, CBD is considered a food supplement, which means it is against Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ( MHRA) regulations to make any medical claims about its effects.

Simply put, a medical claim is any statement suggesting that a product can treat or help with a medical condition. This means that any hemp oil product on Amazon UK that claims to treat a disease or a symptom — such as anxiety or pain — is breaking the law.

The second problem with these claims is that they’re flat out wrong. Although hemp seed oil does have some health benefits, there is zero scientific evidence that it helps with anxiety, inflammation, pain, and other conditions that people take CBD oil for.

Hemp Products on Amazon Are Not Backed by Third-Party Testing

Finally, the third reason why you should avoid hemp oil on Amazon is the lack of third-party lab test results.

Independent third-party testing is critically important when it comes to buying CBD oils and other CBD-containing hemp preparations because it prevents companies from selling products that have high THC levels, low CBD levels, or no CBD at all.

This happens more commonly than you think. According to a report by the Centre for Medical Cannabis, only 11/29 (38%) of the UK CBD products they tested had CBD levels within 10% of what advertised, while another 38% had less than 50% of the advertised CBD content, and one product had 0% CBD.

As you’ll quickly notice with Amazon, none of the listed hemp oil products provide third-party test results and the reason why is obvious: they don’t contain any CBD!

Until Regulations Change, Stay Away From Amazon Hemp Oil

Regulations surrounding CBD are continuing to relax in the UK and other countries. Thanks to this, CBD oils and other CBD products are being offered by an increasing number of retailers.

As it stands, however, CBD products are not allowed to be sold on Amazon UK and other regional Amazon sites. As such, we’d recommend that you avoid buying any hemp products on Amazon’s UK, US, and other Amazon websites. These products don’t contain CBD: they are misleading and arguably breaking rules related to advertising food supplements.