Before you read further let me make this clear I do not want to create any controversy relating to Charlotte’s Web CBD oil. My every argument will be backed up by solid pieces of evidence, facts and figures. The legacy of Charlotte’s CBD will stand right up front; the sole purpose of writing is to spread awareness and discover new dimensions in the CBD industry.
I do not want to let you confine yourself to the “only” best resource. It’s as bad as putting all your eggs in one basket.
Competition and developments in R&D is the heart and soul of every industry, and we should acknowledge other great introductions in the CBD industry while maintaining the well-earned respect for Charlotte’s in its place.
Perspective is what matters, and my words will help redefine your view based on reliable indicators.
Let’s have a little glance about the history of Charlotte’s Web CBD. How they have evolved themselves in the market?
What is the story behind the brand name “Charlotte”?
The primary purpose of having the brand identity connected with the story of a “suffering child” is to let the market identify their essential contribution. Charlotte Figi was the name of a little six years old girl. She was suffering from a rare yet extreme type of Epilepsy known as the “Dravet Syndrome”.
Dravet syndrome is classified as a type of Childhood Epilepsy. The condition of Charlotte was in dire straits. There was very little hope of her survival, as she was suffering from more than 250 grand mal epileptic attacks known as Seizures every week.
The doctors had no option but to put Charlotte in a medically induced coma with the permission of her parents. The treatment options seem to be scarce; the parent’s only hope was a miracle to happen and happen fast.
The blessing in disguise
Meanwhile, Charlotte’s grandfather was actively looking for a solution. He had heard the story of a boy who was treated successfully with the help of Cannabis oil.
The turning point
He contacted the Stanley brothers, who were involved in the medical marijuana business in Colorado USA. The Story of Charlotte deeply touched the Stanley’s.
The seven brothers were experienced enough in the industry to come up with a unique yet effective strain of Cannabis for the treatment of Charlotte’s Dravet syndrome.
They developed a hybrid strain of Cannabis with a ratio of “Thirty to one”; Thirty ratio CBD with one ratio of THC. With the help of this unique hybrid blend Charlotte’s health condition improved in a matter of days.
The frequency of the seizures was reduced from 300 per week to only a few nocturnal seizures per month. Without a shadow of a doubt, it was a considerable achievement as far as Charlotte’s Dravet syndrome was concerned.
The success story of Stanley brothers gained wide popularity, enough for introducing them as a CBD oil provider on the internet in 2011 with a brand named as “Charlotte’s Web CBD”.
So what is wrong with me?
Why am I even writing a post in the opposite direction?
I should be supporting Stanley’s company. They have made such a gallant contribution!
Let me clarify that there is nothing in my heart against the Stanley’s. Their efforts for Charlotte Figi classify for a Salute and a standing ovation from my side.
But, When they have decided to jump in the mainstream as a commercialized seller of CBD throughout the USA and worldwide. It is my responsibility as an unbiased reviewer to dissect all the attributes they are claiming.
The most neglected “Point to Ponder.”
The CBD oil for the Dravet syndrome was developed from the Marijuana plant. But the Oil they have been selling on the Web is a hemp-based version.
Two important aspects to consider
a) It has been proven scientifically that the Cannabinoid profile of the two species of Cannabis, i.e. Marijuana and Hemp are different.
They have gained Commercialized reputation with the Marijuana hybrid blend while they are selling the hemp-based version.
b) Just imagine for the sake of the argument that even if they have been selling the same 30:1 blend developed for treating Charlotte’s Dravet syndrome. The worldwide users of CBD oil are not suffering from the same disorder.
They need CBD oil for a broader spectrum of benefits like improving sleep, maintaining concentration, reducing stress and anxiety etc. It does not appear logical to me that if one specific type of CBD oil cures Dravet syndrome, it will have the characteristics to cure all the other diseases as well.
Now I am going to draw a comparison between Charlotte’s CBD with five top-notch brands in the industry in the light of six critical factors for the users.
Nothing to take away from Charlotte’s CBD Oil, they have a league of their own. The principal purpose is, to educate the users about the dynamism of other brands, with the same or even superior quality than Charlotte’s.
1) Ethical Consumerism
CBDPure vs Charlotte Web
visit CBDPure —–>> https://www.cbdpure.com
A top brand not only cares for the profits but also pays equal attention to the moral values, safety and prosperity of their clients. Charlottes Brand has yet to satisfy the Community about their non- GMO practices. For an Ethical comparison, one brand that instantly pops up in my mind is CBD Pure. It is the product of a well-known brand Nutra Pure. They have impressed me by their Persistent Ethical standards.
Key Features:
Non-GMO vs GMO practices
CBD Pure blends are free of any Pesticides, confirming the evidence that their marketed products are Organic, free of any hazardous GMO practices and contaminants.
Exact CBD mg per serving
Exact quantity in Milligrams of CBD per serving is missing in Charlotte’s products while CBD pure products have mentioned amounts of CBD oil in mg/serving.
Extraction methods
The Charlottes have ignored the fact that every user has a right to know about the extraction procedures. They have not mentioned any of their acquired extraction techniques of CBD oil, organic or inorganic, we don’t know.
CBD pure has the best Carbon-di-oxide, CO2 extraction method for CBD oil.
Clear Labeling
Charlottes have no detailed ingredient list mentioned on their CBD oil. Now if someone is Gluten sensitive, there is no way to trace that if Charlotte’s Oil is Gluten free or Gluten contained. CBDPure have mentioned, detailed list of ingredients on their products.
Scientific Evidence
CBDPure have mentioned the outstanding results of their products along with the scientific evidence and proofs on their web interface. On the other hand, we have only one story to share with “Charlotte’s Dravet Syndrome success”, nothing less, and nothing more.
2) Research, Information and Awareness
Elixinol vs Charlotte’s Web CBD
visit Elixinol —–>> https://elixinol.com/
Let us be honest with ourselves; although CBD products are gaining wide popularity still, there is a lot of stigmas attached to the Hemp industry. It is the responsibility of every brand to educate its users about the facts and put sufficient efforts in the research department. If we can eradicate the false contemporary belief about CBD oil, millions of users will receive the benefits along with a substantial increase in the market.
Charlotte’s Web Articles
Charlotte’s Web has a segment on their website where you can find different blog posts on CBD oil. After going through their Blog section in depth, I have realized that most of their blog posts have been written purely from a marketing point of view.
You will find posts portraying that they have incredible professional farming practices with over 250,000 plants and Testing every five days to achieve the best Phyto-chemical profile. With a certain extent, they have every right to do so, but we should have a majority of the posts solely dedicated to educating the users.
Elixinol Articles
The difference
Elixinol was founded by one of the global front-runners in the CBD oil and Hemp industry, Paul Benhaim. Elixinol is a trusted brand because of almost Three decades of experience. They had first introduced their CBD products in 1991.
Elixinol is known to have the services of the best hemp experts from all over the globe.
They have put a considerable amount of finance in the research and awareness department. They have a dedicated section on their website where you can find a wide variety of articles about CBD, its uses and how it can be beneficial in improving the quality of life.
Majority of the pieces are free from any marketing influence and purely written for the awareness purpose. Their compassion and dedication helped them, developing a natural trust in their professional abilities and ethical practices.
3) Lab Testing Standards
Kats Botanicals vs Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web testing standards
For maintaining consistent quality and standards of CBD oil, it is vital to hire the services of a recognized Third party lab. Moreover, the lab reports should be readily available on the website or at the least they should be provided upon request before ordering the product. Unfortunately, this is not the case with Charlotte’s Oil.
It struck me like a piece of shocking news when I realized that for receiving the lab reports you have first to buy their product, then enter the batch number on their website.
They even do not have the services of a third party testing facility, having an ISO certificate.
The Stanley brothers and their Charlotte’s company have only relied on the success of a single patient story, for proclaiming their trustworthiness. I think there is a lack of professionalism here, although they have thousands of satisfied customers since 2011, it never qualifies as an excuse of not hiring the services of an ISO certified third-party laboratory.
Kats botanicals testing standards
Kats Botanicals are new to the competitive CBD industry, first launched their products in 2017. Justin Kats is the founder of katsbotanical. But their freshness has never restrained them from adopting international high-quality testing standards.
Kats botanicals have the services of Columbia food labs as a third party testing facility. Columbia food lab is an ISO certified company. According to Fortune, they have more than 500 satisfied client companies from all over the US.
The reports of Columbia food labs strongly endorse that the CBD oil of Kats Botanicals is pure and safer to use. You can email them for receiving the lab reports. Their Customer care department is swift and will give you a response within 24 hours.
One of the best benefits of receiving the lab reports from an ISO certified laboratory is that you can see the THC content in the Oil. The THC content should be less than 0.3%, and the only way to know, is to have a reliable lab report in your hands.
Following are some of the lab reports I have received from Kats botanical upon request via a simple Email. We can say that Charlotte’s CBD oil has a broad user base but they unquestionably lack the testing standards.
Residual solvent report of Kats Botanicals
Cannabinoid report of Kats Botanicals
4) Fair Price Analysis
Proleve vs Charlotte Web
visit Prelove —–>> https://proleve.com
If you are assuming that I am going to write a solitary numeric price comparison between the two brands, you are a little off track. There is more to it than just the price factor. But as per your primary interest let’s discuss the price comparison table first.
The following table demonstrates the Price per milligram (mg) of CBD oil.
| Proleve CBD oil ($/mg) | Charlotte’s Web CBD oil($/mg) |
| 500 mg in 30ml bottle $35/500 = $0.07/mg | 300 mg in 30ml bottle $39.99/300 = $0.13/mg |
You can see that Proleve CBD has a slight advantage in the price comparison.
What’s more than the price comparison?
Answer: Extra added ingredients
You are paying a hefty amount for CBD oil. So you should get only CBD oil with a carrier oil, i.e. MCT oil (medium chained triglycerides Oil).
Proleve CBD oil does not include any other extra ingredient other than the MCT oil from coconuts. Charlotte’s CBD oil has Olive oil and other additional flavor.
Bottom line: Proleve has a clear advantage over Charlottes CBD oil in price comparison with a similar quality.
5) Variety of the Products
Savage CBD vs Charlotte’s Web
visit Savage —–>> https://savagecbd.com
Charlotte’s Web has the following variety in CBD.
- Oil
- Capsules
- Ointments
But what about the most in-demand type of CBD oil; the vape?
Charlotte’s Web has missed the trick here by not providing CBD vape oil. I have visited and researched many CBD sites during my journey as a passionate CBD user. Most of the time I have witnessed “Sold out” under the CBD vape category. It simplifies the argument that there is a huge demand for CBD vape juice.
One of the best providers of Vape flavour is Savage CBD – they emerged in the market in 2015. Their vape juice has one extra-ordinary characteristic, it is 99% pure CBD and 0% THC. So the legality issues are also out of the window. They also have edible gums variety in their stock. Kats botanicals brand also have the edible gummies on their showcase.
6) Comparison Between Personally Tested Products
Kats Botanical Full Spectrum CBD vs Charlotte Full Strength CBD
Kats Botanicals
Key specifications
- Product name: Hemp oil CBD
- Source: USA
- Price: $35
- Strength: 500 mg
- Flavour: Standard
- Used for: Anxiety and Sleep disturbance
Results: Excellent
Charlotte’s Web CBD
Key Specifications
- Product name: Charlotte full strength CBD
- Price: $40
- Source: USA
- Mg CBD per ML: Approx. 10 mg
- Size Used: 30 ml
- Flavor: Olive oil
- Used for: Anxiety and Sleep disturbance
Results: Satisfactory
Take Away Points
Based on sound evidence and verifications, we can positively declare that Charlotte’s web CBD oil is not the “only” trustworthy CBD brand available on the internet. Other top brands like KOI, Pure Kana, Elixinol, Kats and CBD pure have surpassed Charlotte’s CBD in terms of quality, testing standards, variety, effectiveness and Price.
Even though during our examination of Charlotte’s CBD we have found few shortcomings yet, it is still one of the finest CBD providers around. The misconception is—Charlotte’s is the “only” best. Brand monopoly in any industry is never a good sign for consumers.
There should be a professional competition, and in fact, there is a healthy competition. I have tried to clear the misbeliefs based on critical factors for the users. If you are new to the CBD world, I would definitely recommend trying other brands as mentioned.
Information is the key here; try to use the above-cited data for your advantage.
Have a safe CBD journey!
I am a mother and this helped me!