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The 4 Best Cheap CBD Oils To Try In 2023

Lindsay Boyers
Author: Expert reviewer:
October 02, 2023
Lindsay Boyers
Certified holistic nutrition consultant
By Lindsay Boyers
Certified holistic nutrition consultant
Lindsay Boyers is a nutrition consultant specializing in elimination diets, gut health, and food sensitivities. Lindsay earned a degree in food & nutrition from Framingham State University, and she holds a Certificate in Holistic Nutrition Consulting from the American College of Healthcare Sciences.
Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN
Expert review by
Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN
mbg Vice President of Scientific Affairs

Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN is Vice President of Scientific Affairs at mindbodygreen. She received her bachelor's degree in Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania and Ph.D. in Foods and Nutrition from the University of Georgia.

Cornbread Hemp CBD Oil on background
Image by mbg creative
October 02, 2023
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.
Disclaimer: Our website includes general information and instruction relating to health and wellness topics. This content is not a substitute for medical advice from your health care provider. All treatment decisions should be determined in partnership with a health care practitioner. Hemp CBD products are derived from U.S. industrial hemp (less than 0.3% THC) and European hemp (less than 0.2% THC). While CBD products derived from the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) are legal on a federal level in the U.S., some states have specific laws, so you'll want to check your state's laws to be sure.

The best cheap CBD oils of 2023

Hemp CBD has only been recently legal across the United States since December 2018, so it’s no surprise that many people are still confused about how to shop for the best CBD products—let alone how to determine what counts as a “good value” in the hemp CBD world.

The good news? The continued expansion and competition seen in hemp farming and the hemp CBD market means the prices should only get cheaper with time, making hemp CBD more affordable than ever.

The bad news is that this same rapid growth makes it harder to decipher what’s actually worth your money. 

Similar to any other product, quality is often one of the first things to decrease with hemp CBD when a company wants to save.

As a result, it’s important to consider the quality, sourcing, and formulation of the hemp CBD product that you plan to purchase. 

Below, we highlight the best cheap CBD oil brands that hit the middle ground between quality and price—all with an average cost far below $0.10 per milligram of hemp CBD.

What is CBD oil?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the main cannabinoids in the industrial hemp Cannabis sativa plant, along with trace levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC (i.e., less than 0.3% THC by dry weight per U.S. law).

Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t have any psychoactive effects. However, hemp CBD does support the endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for maintaining the body’s homeostasis across most if not all the body’s organs and physiological functions.*

While research is still in its early stages on the full health benefits of hemp CBD and other cannabinoids, the unique plant is widely recognized for promoting feelings of calm and regulating stress response1*—so you can reap the benefits of the Cannabis sativa plant without feeling “high.”

Summary

CBD oil is a natural product derived from the cannabis plant, specifically from its non-psychoactive cannabinoid called cannabidiol (CBD).

How we picked the best cheap CBD oils

  • Testing & transparency: When evaluating picks, we chose only brands that use third-party testing labs and make COAs readily available on their websites.
  • Potency: We included gentle, moderate, and strong CBD dosing options on the list for people with unique biological makeup, as well as different levels of comfort and/or experience with hemp CBD.
  • Reputation and reviews: Firsthand experience is important, so we highlighted brands that come highly reviewed and recommended by people who love them—including our writers, editors, and even nutrition science experts.
  • Price: It’s difficult to compare price apples to apples when dealing with different strengths (and volumes), so we calculated price per milligram of CBD to level the playing field. All options on this list come in at 10 cents or less per milligram.

mindbodygreen's picks for the best cheap CBD oils of 2023

Best organic: Cornbread Hemp Distilled Organic CBD Oil

Save 25% with code::
MBG25
view on Cornbread Hemp | $30

Pros:

  • USDA certified organic
  • Smart packaging with marked dropper
  • Available in different volumes and strengths

Cons:

  • Most expensive option on the list
  • Trace levels of THC (if that’s not your thing)
  • Not suitable for those with tree nut allergies (coconut)

Type:

Full-spectrum

Full Bottle:

750mg of CBD

Serving Strength:

Moderate25mg CBD per serving

Servings:

30

Cost Per Serving:

$0.10 per serving

You’ll only find two ingredients on the label of Cornbread Hemp’s oil: organic MCT coconut oil and organic hemp extract. The full-spectrum hemp is only sourced from organic hemp flowers—which contain most of the hemp CBD and minor cannabinoids—grown on the brand's Kentucky farms and is distilled to remove impurities. It’s then combined with organic coconut oil for optimal availability. The final product is USDA organic certified (a hard designation to earn), just like the brand’s hemp CBD gummies.  

Choose between 375mg, 750mg, or 1,500mg of hemp CBD per bottle. The first two offer 25mg of hemp CBD per serving (a moderate strength), while the last size has 50mg of hemp CBD per serving (a strong potency). 

View COAs here.

Best for beginners: Joy Organics Organic Full Spectrum CBD Tincture

Save 20% with code:
MBG20
view on Joy Organics | $36

Pros:

  • Gentle strength with stronger options available
  • USDA organic

Cons:

  • Some flavored options use stevia
  • Only flavored tinctures come in gentle strength
  • Not suitable for those with tree nut allergies (coconut)

Type:

Full-spectrum

Full Bottle:

450mg of CBD

Serving Strength:

Gentle15mg CBD per serving

Servings:

30

Cost Per Serving:

$0.08 per serving

If you’re new to hemp CBD, this tincture from Joy Organics is a good place to start. It’s made with only two ingredients, organic hemp extract and organic MCT oil (from coconut), and is ideal for both daytime and nighttime use due to its low-dose formula. The hemp CBD extract used in Joy Organic’s oil comes from the leaves and flowers, and is extracted without harsh solvents that can break down cannabinoids and other beneficial compounds.

Because it’s unflavored, the earthy taste may take some getting used to for newbies. Luckily, the brand also sells flavored options too, like Tropical Sunrise and Fresh Lime, which are sweetened with organic stevia and flavored with organic ingredients, too (e.g., organic key lime oil for the Fresh Lime variety). Also worth noting: All shipping is carbon neutral (and free over $50) with a 90-day satisfaction guarantee.

View COAs here.

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Best high potency: Charlotte’s Web Maximum Strength CBD Oil

Pros:

  • Hemp sourced from own family farms
  • USDA certified organic
  • Certified B corp

Cons:

  • No unflavored option
  • Has trace levels of CBD
  • Not suitable for those with tree nut allergies (coconut)

Type:

Full-spectrum

Full Bottle:

1800mg of CBD

Serving Strength:

Strong60mg per serving

Servings:

30

Cost Per Serving:

$0.07 per serving

With 60 mg of hemp CBD per serving, Charlotte’s Web Maximum Strength CBD Oil is one of the strongest hemp CBD oils that you’ll find on the market—yet at only $0.07/mg, the price is more than fair.

Unlike Charlotte Web’s Original Formula, this potent pick is made with C02 extraction, a nontoxic and environmentally safe process that uses pressurized carbon dioxide to extract beneficial phytocannabinoids. The full-spectrum hemp extract (from organic hemp grown in Colorado) is then combined with organic MCT coconut oil for optimal absorption. 

The maximum strength oil comes in three flavors: mint chocolate, orange blossom, and lemon twist. This means you can easily spruce up your beverage with a unique flavor or take the hemp CBD oil solo (just hold it under your tongue for 30 seconds before swallowing). 

View COAs here.

Best value: Lazarus Naturals CBD Tincture

Pros:

  • USDA certified organic
  • Available in three flavors
  • Smart packaging with marked dropper
  • Certified kosher

Cons:

  • Some users don’t like the flavors
  • Not suitable for those with tree nut allergies (coconut)

Type:

Full-spectrum

Full Bottle:

1500mg of CBD

Serving Strength:

Strong50mg CBD per serving

Servings:

30

Cost Per Serving:

$0.03 per serving


From a brand known to serve up higher CBD strengths, this hemp CBD tincture from Lazarus Naturals has 50mg of hemp CBD per serving, maximizing potency for the price. Available in three flavors—classic, strawberry lemonade, and chocolate mint—the USDA certified organic pick is formulated with organic hempseed oil, organic coconut MCT oil, organic full-spectrum hemp extract, and organic natural flavors (i.e., in the two flavored varieties). 

While a full serving is fairly potent, the marked dropper makes it easy to reduce the total amount consumed, as each marker represents 12.5mg of hemp CBD. While some reviewers aren’t huge fans of the flavors, the brand has earned a solid 4 out of 5 star ratings after nearly 600 reviews.

View COAs here.

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Comparing the best cheap CBD oils

ProductCBD typeServing strengthCost Cost per serving
Cornbread Hemp Distilled Organic CBD OilFull-spectrum25mg CBD (moderate)$75$0.10
Charlotte’s Web Maximum Strength CBD OilFull-spectrum60mg CBD (strong)$120$0.07
Joy Organics Organic Full Spectrum CBD TinctureFull-spectrum15mg CBD (gentle)$36$0.08
Lazarus Naturals CBD TinctureFull-spectrum50mg CBD (strong)$40$0.03

How to understand the quality of CBD oil

Similar to shopping for any other supplement, it’s important to do research into the brands you plan to support. Transparency around sourcing, production practices, and testing (i.e., for purity and potency) is the best way to ensure you’re getting a quality product that’s worth the price. 

In the hemp CBD world, this includes finding brands that reveal their growing location and share farming practices (preferably organic). The product page should ideally link to a Certificate of Analysis (COA).

These reports from accredited labs provide the chemical analysis of a hemp extract or oil, giving details about the potency of the product’s ingredients (e.g., confirming CBD dose and trace levels of THC), as well as confirming that contaminants, such as pesticides or heavy metals, are absent or present in negligible residual levels.

Like any other product, quality is often reflected in the price. Of course price and value should be viewed holistically. This means considering the product in its totality—its active ingredients, excipients (i.e., “other ingredients” list), and packaging materials. 

Hemp CBD can cost as little as $0.02 per mg of hemp CBD with options up to $0.20 per mg hemp CBD. During our research, we found the sweet spot for snagging a sustainably packaged, organically-sourced product is between $0.05/mg hemp CBD and $0.10/mg hemp CBD.

What makes some CBD oils more expensive?

While high-quality hemp and transparent sourcing may seem like features that would jack up the price of a CBD oil, our list proves otherwise. You can certainly find reputable CBD brands that make trustworthy products at a reasonable price.

Lazarus Naturals (on our list) is one of the most affordable brands out there and they're extremely proud of both their organic farming and accessible pricing and financial assistance programs.

The factor that plays the largest role in the pricing of CBD is the product's potency, or how much cannabidiol is actually inside an oil's formula. Higher-potency products tend to be more expensive than lower-potency products.

That said, if you do the math on what you're spending per milligram of CBD, a higher potency product may actually provide more value.

What to look for when purchasing hemp CBD

When choosing a cheap hemp CBD oil, you still want to be extra diligent about making sure you’re getting a high-quality product. Consider the CBD type, testing, ingredients, and strength before making your final decisions—not just the cost.

Hemp CBD type

There are three main types of hemp: full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate. Full-spectrum hemp contains all the terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids (including THC) that come from the aerial parts of the hemp plant (i.e., leaves, flowers, and stems).

Registered RDN and certified holistic cannabis practitioner Emily Kyle, M.S., previously told mbg this is often considered the best option due to the possible “entourage effect2.”

Broad-spectrum mimics full-spectrum hemp with all the same compounds sans THC. This type of hemp is best for anyone who is looking for a combined effect from the plant compounds, but would rather stay away from THC completely.

As the name suggests, CBD isolates only deliver cannabidiol, so you don’t get any other cannabinoids or terpenes. You still reap the benefits of the hemp CBD, but you won’t get the entourage effect. 

Regardless of your selection, it’s important to always talk to your healthcare provider before starting a supplement.

Testing

Third-party testing is vital to ensuring that you’re getting a pure product and one that aligns with its label in terms of potency (i.e., CBD strength and trace THC levels).

Look for a company that sends each batch (sometimes referred to as a “lot”) off for third-party testing and then makes those test results readily available on its website.

You want to make sure the company is testing for contaminants—like pesticides, microbials (e.g., yeast, mold, etc.), and heavy metals (the big four are arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury)—and verify the potency of the active ingredients in the oil.

Ingredients

When choosing a hemp CBD oil, make sure it’s made with high-quality hemp. Ideally, the hemp will be organic (a major plus if it's also sourced locally!), or at the very least, it should be non-GMO. 

The inactive ingredients are important, too. “Consider the diluent oil, is it a high-quality organic coconut oil, organic hempseed oil, organic EVOO, or something like that? That’s important for the overall quality assessment of a hemp CBD oil tincture,” explains mindbodygreen vice president of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN.

Read the full ingredient lists to ensure there are no artificial flavors or sweeteners, synthetic dyes, or chemical preservatives. 

By definition, since the product is a CBD oil, there will be fat present. “The hemp extract is diluted and carried via a diluent oil. While the science is still emerging3, it’s thought that the presence of fat, like coconut MCT oil, assists with optimal absorption of the hemp cannabinoids,” Ferira adds.

Strength

Strength, aka potency or dose, can vary between hemp CBD oils. Most commonly, you’ll see 10 to 50 mg of CBD per serving. If you’re new to CBD oil or you prefer a gentle dose, you might want to stick with up to 20 mg of CBD per serving.

If you want a moderate dose, aim for 20 to 40 mg of CBD per serving. Anything over 40 mg of CBD per serving is considered a strong dose. 

Of course, every person is unique, and botanical extracts often require a personalized approach alongside a great healthcare partner.

Keep in mind that stronger hemp CBD oils may seem more expensive, but you’ll be getting more active ingredients per dose. “Higher potency hemp CBD extracts are a literal, more-bang-for-your-buck scenario,” explains Ferira.

When trying to narrow it down by price, look at the price per mg of CBD, rather than the overall price for an easier comparison.

How much CBD oil should you take?

The right hemp CBD dosage for you depends on why you’re taking it (e.g., calm, sleep, joint support, etc.), your size (e.g., weight), and how experienced you are with the supplement.* Generally, you want to start off at lower doses and then work your way up to find your own sweet spot. 

Most importantly, you should always follow the instructions provided by the brand when starting with a new supplement, as well as always consulting your healthcare practitioner.

Why this matters for your longevity

As we mentioned above, research around hemp CBD is still in the early days. However, the evidence around the benefits of cannabinol is promising. And, with the recent surge in interest around hemp CBD products, it seems like there's a new brand popping up every day.

What's important, though, is that you find a CBD brand that works for you—both in terms of your health and your budget. Health and wellness products can get pricey, but there are a handful of companies that don't compromise on quality without charging an arm and a leg.

That way you can focus on the therapeutic aspects of CBD without worrying about how much each mg costs.

Frequently asked questions

Are there side effects to CBD oil?

Some people experience side effects when taking hemp CBD oil, the most common being drowsiness and sleepiness. Others may experience changes in appetite or mood. Hemp CBD can also potentially interact with certain medications, so make sure you discuss any potential contraindications with your doctor before starting a new supplement.

Is hemp oil the same as CBD oil?

Hemp seed oil is not the same as hemp CBD oil. Hemp seed oil, which is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, is extracted from hemp seeds and has little to no CBD. Hemp CBD oil is extracted from hemp flowers, leaves, and stems (i.e., the “aerial” parts of the plant). It’s lower in omega-3 fatty acids but higher in phytocannabinoids (i.e., plant cannabinoids), the most famous being CBD.

Does CBD oil show in a drug test?

Hemp CBD itself doesn’t show up in a drug test because tests don’t screen for cannabidiol. However, full-spectrum CBD oils contain trace amounts of THC, which may trigger a positive drug test depending on the dose, frequency of use, and sensitivity of the drug test.

The takeaway

When shopping for an affordable hemp CBD oil, you don’t want to buy the cheapest one you can find. Instead, you want to find a good balance of quality and price.

The best cheap hemp CBD oils are made with organic and/or non-GMO hemp, and they don’t contain any artificial ingredients.

They should also be third-party tested, with COAs readily available on the site, so you can confirm you’re actually getting what you’re paying for.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.

Meet The Experts

Lindsay Boyers is a nutrition consultant specializing in elimination diets, gut health, and food sensitivities. Lindsay earned a degree in food & nutrition from Framingham State University, and she holds a Certificate in Holistic Nutrition Consulting from the American College of Healthcare Sciences.

Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN is Vice President of Scientific Affairs at mindbodygreen. She received her bachelor's degree in Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania and Ph.D. in Foods and Nutrition from the University of Georgia.

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