CannaWell is a true pioneer of the UK CBD industry. Since being established in 2014, they’ve played a key role in raising standards and ensuring that customers can access high-quality products. Based in West Sussex, they offer a range of carefully crafted oils and skincare products designed to support health and wellbeing.

This 5% oil is from their Hemp Balance range and contains a combined 500mg of CBD and CBDa in a hempseed carrier. It’s made with a whole plant extract that contains a full spectrum of cannabinoids, a wide range of terpenes and several other beneficial plant substances. The hemp is grown in Europe on organically certified farms and then it’s extracted using low-pressure CO2.

When I received the bottle and looked over the CannaWell website, I was immediately impressed. There are no unproven claims or bold statements, just lots of useful information backed up with evidence. For example, I found it easy to find details about where the hemp comes from and how it was extracted.

All of CannaWell’s products have been awarded organic certification; The certificates themselves are not available on-site. Still, once I asked, they kindly sent them over so I could see that all of their products are entirely organic as verified by the Organic Food Federation.

I was also pleased to see that the bottle clearly states 500mg CBD/CBDa; so often I see labels that say 500mg CBD only to find on the lab certificates that the 500mg is made up of both CBD and CBDa. I don’t mind if the oil contains lots of CBDa, the issue is only when the brand isn’t upfront about what you’re paying for.

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Contents

Who are CannaWell?

Not only have CannaWell been around since CBD first became popular in the UK, but they’ve also been at the forefront of regulation and quality in the industry. The company was started by a team of genuinely passionate CBD enthusiasts and their director is Catherine Wilson who is also Vice President of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA).

CannaWell is determined to provide completely natural, first-rate products. After a couple of years in the industry, they used their experience to design the new Hemp Balance and Hemp CBD ranges. These oils are made using the latest techniques conducted by expert operators to ensure the final product meets their high standards. Their attention to detail and commitment to their customers has earned them an impressive reputation and helped them to grow into one of the UK’s premier CBD suppliers.

Third-Party Lab Tests

A third-party lab analyses every batch of CannaWell oil; however, they don’t currently publish the results. When we asked them, they sent us copies to demonstrate that their claims are verifiable. The results on the certificates matched the amount of CBD and CBDa shown on the bottle. They also verified that the extract contains a range of other cannabinoids, including CBDV, CBDVa, CBC, CBG and CBGa.

It’s disappointing that the lab results aren’t available for public access, but I was pleased to see that they matched the claims made on the website and bottle.

Ease of Use

The oil comes in a small brown glass bottle with a bulb-tipped dropper. The dropper worked well and I was able to place several drops under my tongue with a moderate degree of accuracy. I would prefer to have a measure on the side to show how much you’ve used because counting out drops under your tongue is difficult unless you’re standing in front of a mirror.

The directions of use on the bottle are basic, but there is much more information available on the product page of the CannaWell website. There you’ll find out exactly how much CBD/CBDa is one drop and how many you should take.

CannaWell Hemp Balance Taste

This is an exceptionally bitter, earthy oil. Although I didn’t find it pleasant, the flavour is muted when you hold it under your tongue and I took its intensity to mean that it’s packed full of beneficial hemp substances!

Potency/ Effectiveness

5% oils are among the lowest strength, so I wasn’t expecting to notice much of an effect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I usually associate the whole plant, full-spectrum oils like this with a more potent effect and I wasn’t disappointed. Even shortly after the first application of five drops, I noticed a pleasant relaxation pass through my body.

During the two weeks I used it, I noticed several improvements to my health, mood and sleep. I took 5 drops three times a day, but when I saw how effective it was, I began to take a few extra if I felt a headache coming on or noticed any anxiety building.

Value for Money

The £44.95 price tag places it firmly in the premium sector of the market and makes it one of the most expensive oils I’ve tried. The only one that was more pricey was the excellent Bud and Tender broad spectrum filtered oil. Amazingly, like the oil from Bud and Tender, this one is well worth it.

This is an effective oil that’s been made to an exceptional standard with attention paid to every detail. Ideally, I’d like to see the third-party lab results published on the product page, but this is still a well-made, genuine oil.

Would I Buy Again?

Yes, I would buy CannaWell CBD oil again. The lab results being available at the point of sale would see an increased score in this area, but the main reason I would buy again is that it is one of the more effective oils I have tried as part of our review processes.

Whilst this oil was certainly good, it didn’t quite score high enough to be included in our best UK CBD oils article. However, it is certified organic, effective and offers good value, so it is included in our best organic CBD oil reviews.

If what you seek is a high-strength oil, this product is available only available up to 5% strength, our threshold for a strong product is 25% CBD so, this cannot be included in our list of the strongest CBD oils available in the UK.

CannaWell Hemp Balance Final Scores

CannaWell Hemp Balance Review

Overall

This 5% Hemp Balance CBD/CBDa oil features a potent whole plant extract suspended in a hempseed carrier. It's certified organic, relatively potent, suitable for vegans and completely natural. Unfortunately, the lab results are not publicly available. However, they did allow us to verify all of the claims made on the website and the amounts on the label. This is a premium product that despite its high price, still manages to deliver incredible value.

Third-party lab results

Ease of use

Potency/effectiveness

Value for money

Pros

Contains a full-spectrum of cannabinoids

Made with whole-plant extract

Certified organic

Third-party lab tested

Suitable for vegans

CO2 extracted

There's lots of information about CannaWell’s methods and raw materials on the website.