CBD American Shaman CBD Oil Review: A Word Of Caution

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Meaghan is an editor and writer who also has experience practicing holistic medicine as an acupuncturist and herbalist.
Meaghan Harmon Editor
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Our Verdict

CBD American Shaman’s Water Soluble CBD Oil is made from full-spectrum hemp extract, contains 10 milligrams of cannabidiol (CBD) oil per suggested 1-milliliter serving (recommended to be divided into two .5-milliliter servings per day). The company claims to use a proprietary nanotechnology that may make CBD more bioavailable, easier to absorb and faster acting, but it doesn’t provide evidence to support these claims, and independent research regarding this technology doesn’t support the extent of these claims.

Key Features

  • Certificates of analysis (COAs) are available for each product on the company website. With that said, a 2020 class action lawsuit raised issues with the fact that some COA reports didn’t accurately reflect the contents of certain products, namely levels of heavy metals, pesticides and molds.
  • Each 30-milliliter bottle contains 300 milligrams of CBD oil.
  • Five flavors available: cherry limeade, grape, hemp, piña colada and lemon

CBD American Shaman, a CBD product company based in Kansas City, Missouri, was founded in 2015 by Vince Sanders. Prior to launching his company, Sanders was involved in other marijuana-related entrepreneurial endeavors, and he spent time in prison for participating in an illegal, multimillion-dollar marijuana sales scheme, according to an NPR article in which Sanders was interviewed. Following his release, he started CBD American Shaman, a company dedicated to CBD products. However, the company has faced legal challenges since its founding.

ProsCons
  • Gluten-free and non-GMO
  • Made from U.S.-grown hemp
  • Full-spectrum, which may provide synergistic properties of various cannabinoids
  • Compassionate care program provides discounts to customers with financial need and to veterans
  • Company not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has an open complaint regarding unverified marketing claims on its website
  • Contains small amounts of THC, which could lead to a positive THC drug test over time
  • Slightly bitter flavor may not appeal to all consumers

American Shaman CBD Oil at a Glance

  • Cost: A 30-milliliter bottle of water-soluble hemp oil costs $59.99. Subscribing to the company’s newsletter saves you 20%. Consumed at the CBD American Shaman’s recommended dose, one bottle contains 30 servings.
  • Potency: Each .5-milliliter serving contains 5 milligrams of CBD, with a recommended dose of 1 milliliter of CBD oil per day.
  • Quality: CBD American Shaman products are third-party tested and produced without solvents through a carbon dioxide extraction method, although COA accuracy may be questionable.

How It Works

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant. CBD American Shaman Water Soluble CBD Oil is a full-spectrum CBD product, which means it contains additional potentially beneficial cannabinoids found in hemp, including small amounts of THC. Full-spectrum CBD is the least processed compared to other forms of CBD, such as broad-spectrum CBD or CBD isolate. All of CBD American Shaman’s products comply with nationwide standards to contain less than 0.3% THC by dry weight, according to the company.

CBD oil may potentially benefit immune response, epilepsy in children, sleep, anxiety, pain, post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD) and some inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders, according to a study in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

The Product

The main ingredient in CBD American Shaman Water Soluble CBD Oil is full-spectrum CBD oil extracted from the hemp plant.

The suggested daily dose of two .5-milliliter servings per day should allow this bottle to last for one month. Measurements are clearly marked on the dropper, and the label recommends mixing each dose into 8 ounces of liquid.

According to CBD American Shaman, consumers should not ingest more than 60 milligrams of CBD daily unless consulting with a health care provider.

The Cost of CBD American Shaman CBD Oil

One 30-milliliter bottle of CBD American Shaman Water Soluble CBD Full Spectrum Hemp Oil costs $59.99. The company offers a 20% discount with the first order when you subscribe to its newsletter and free shipping on orders over $99.

The Fine Print: Unsubstantiated Marketing Claims and Product Safety Concerns

CBD American Shaman is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB). There’s an active alert from 2019 on the company’s BBB profile page stating that CBD American Shaman didn’t comply with the BBB’s request that the company substantiate marketing claims on its website regarding product efficacy and action.

Furthermore, a 2020 lawsuit brought against CBD American Shaman (Davis v. CBD American Shaman, LLC) called the accuracy of the COAs on the company’s website into question. Although the lawsuit was dismissed, the plaintiff had test results showing that certain products he purchased from CBD American Shaman, which he claimed he bought based on the passing COAs, actually failed the same test at the same laboratory for the presence of heavy metals (including lead) and microbes and molds. While the tinctures similar to the one in this review passed the heavy metals test, they failed for having three times the allowable amounts of yeast and mold.

Pulse Marketing, Inc. also sued CBD American Shaman in 2019 for not paying marketing bills, a case which was ultimately settled in 2021.

CBD American Shaman CBD oil is made from full-spectrum CBD, meaning it contains additional active cannabinoids from the hemp plant, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabinol (CBN). While the presence of additional active constituents is thought to enhance the effectiveness of CBD, according to current research, some people don’t want to consume CBD products containing any amount of THC, in which case a CBD isolate product would be a better choice.

Speak with your health care provider before starting any new product, including CBD oil, to make sure it’s the right option for you.

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What Experts Say

When incorporating CBD products into your daily routine, it’s important to first determine what kind of extract is used, according to Christian Lé, a former medical doctor and current cannabinoid specialist based in Portland, Oregon. “While the CBD market is flooded with products, there’s significantly more capital being spent on labeling and marketing than there is on the actual science behind the extracts being used in CBD products,” he adds.

Products like CBD American Shaman’s Water Soluble CBD Oil is a tincture that’s ingested through oral absorption, which provides more rapid and higher absorption rates of the various compounds in the product than other forms of CBD requiring gastrointestinal absorption, such as edibles or CBD gummies, according to Lé.

My Experience

I have taken a variety of CBD oils over the last few years, mainly to experiment and see whether the lofty claims associated with this compound are true. I don’t subscribe to a particular product or brand—instead, I browse the shelves for labels that intrigue me, flavors I may enjoy or local innovative companies I want to support.

I consumed CBD American Shaman Water Soluble CBD Oil in the hemp flavor on a regular basis to test its effects. I tried to take it as directed (.5 milliliters twice a day), but to be honest, I probably averaged taking it once a day for two weeks.

Personally, I was not a fan of the natural hemp flavor of this product—it was quite bitter and tasted very potent. I followed the company’s suggestion and mixed it into water to consume, and I ended up mixing it with more than the recommended 8 ounces to make it more palatable. I think choosing a different flavor would help hide the bitterness, such as the piña colada option.

I believe I felt a sense of calm more quickly with CBD American Shaman CBD oil than with other CBD oils I’ve tried, but it wasn’t an overwhelmingly noticeable sensation.

Although there are more than 600 reviews of this product on the CBD American Shaman website, I noticed there aren’t many reviews on third-party sites. I was only able to find two reviews on TrustPilot, both of which gave the product five stars, noting the beneficial results of the product on different pain conditions.

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