Even though the CBD industry is relatively new, the best practices for producing high-quality CBD products are already well-known. Dozens of high-end competitors all use the same basic manufacturing techniques and follow the same general rules for selecting ingredients.
So how does a high-quality CBD producer differentiate itself from the pack? One way to do it is to offer an enormous line of products, and this company has one of the most extensive sets of offerings we’ve seen anywhere.
Another way to do it is to develop a “groundbreaking” technology that no competitor possesses. That’s exactly what CBD American Shaman claims to have done.
The company says that its “nanotechnology” produces cannabidiol (the full name of CBD) with up to nine times the bioavailability of traditional CBD. That means it would be absorbed into the body more quickly and more effectively.
Does that claim stand up? And exactly who is behind this apparent breakthrough?
Let’s take a closer look.
CBD American Shaman: The Background
It’s difficult to choose a catchy name when you’re one of several hundred companies entering a brand-new industry like CBD products, which were only legalized in 2018.
CBD American Shaman went the same route as several other companies, picking a name strongly associated with spiritualism and natural healing. Did they select the name because of their founders’ backgrounds or beliefs? It’s impossible to know; there’s very little information available on who they are or what their backgrounds might be. Apparently, they just thought it was a cool name.
The only thing we really do know is that the company is based in Kansas City, its founder is named Vince Sanders, and he’s “addicted to helping people.” Oh, and also that CBD American Shaman is looking for affiliates, resellers, and franchisees (there are a few in New England so far) and it’s “dedicated to bringing wellness to the world” and “focused on the welfare of customers.”
Of course, the lack of detailed background information doesn’t automatically disqualify CBD American Shaman from consideration if you’re searching for a high-quality concentrated CBD oil, topical, or other cannabidiol product. But in an industry with lots of anonymous companies looking for quick profits, the more we know about the producer, the better we feel about them.
CBD American Shaman: The Company’s Approach
CBD American Shaman uses many of the same sourcing practices and manufacturing guidelines as other companies producing high-quality cannabidiol products.
The CBD is sourced from American-grown organic hemp, and the cannabidiol is extracted with the standard CO2 method; the latter doesn’t retain as much of the CBD’s potency as supercritical CO2 extraction but is completely safe. The products are given the “umbrella” description of all-natural, but there are several exotic oil flavors like tropical punch and pina colada available and all that’s indicated is that there is “natural and/or artificial” flavoring added. It’s best to choose carefully if natural ingredients are important to you.
We should also mention that a class-action suit has been filed against CBD American Shaman, alleging that several products were not all-natural and had been contaminated. That suit is still pending.
If you’ve been paying close attention to details while shopping for CBD, you may have noticed there’s one ingredient we didn’t mention: carrier oil. That’s because the company uses several different distribution methods. In its water-soluble oils, nanotechnology allows the cannabidiol to be suspended in water and makes carrier oil irrelevant. In other products, the company uses either MCT coconut oil (the best choice) or less-desirable alternatives like vegetable glycerin and synthetic propylene glycol.
What’s the nanotechnology thing all about? According to CBD American Shaman, it breaks the cannabidiol into much smaller molecules so they can dissolve easily in water. The CBD can then be consumed by mixing it with your beverage of choice instead of dripping it under your tongue – and it will take effect more quickly than the standard cannabidiol/carrier oil mixture.
Needless to say, it’s impossible for us (or anyone else) to watch that all happen, so we can’t vouch for the effectiveness of water-soluble CBD. Scientists say that the process makes sense, but does it work in CBD American Shaman’s water-soluble oil, and does it work “better” than other high-quality CBD oils? We don’t know – it does sound great to be able to drink your CBD, though, and these are good products.
In fact, American Shaman sells CBD products in more than a dozen categories, making it virtually impossible to give a full rundown of everyone. Let’s hit as many as we can.
CBD American Shaman Oils
Water-Soluble CBD
These are the products that have attracted the most attention from the media and consumers because they’re the ones produced with the company’s nanotechnology.
CBD American Shaman sells three different versions of water-soluble oils. All are designed to be added to a beverage and drunk.
Water-Soluble Full-Spectrum Hemp
This product contains all of the hemp’s natural terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids (including <0.3% THC content), for the complete entourage effect that bolsters the performance of the cannabidiol.
The potency is 10mg/ml, a good starting dose but rather low for serious pain or many illnesses. It’s also worth noting that according to the company’s instructions, you’d need a full 16 ounces of liquid to properly mix in a milliliter of the product (containing 10 mg of CBD). It’s available in natural hemp flavor as well as grape, lemon, cherry limeade, and pina colada; the company doesn’t say whether those flavorings are natural or artificial.
Water-Soluble THC-Free Hemp
This product is identical to the one we’ve just mentioned, except that it includes broad-spectrum instead of full-spectrum CBD. That means the THC has been removed, with all of the other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids remaining to provide a lesser entourage effect. The potency and available flavors are the same as with the full-spectrum CBD.
Water-Soluble Extra Strength Hemp
Sold in both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum varieties, this product is three times as potent as the “regular” dosages, with 30mg/ml instead of 10mg/ml. It’s also only available in citrus flavor.
VG Cloud Tincture
These products are relatively similar to the CBD oil you’re probably accustomed to seeing sold elsewhere, and designed to be dropped under the tongue instead of mixed with liquid. The less-desirable choices of sweet-tasting vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol (a synthetic additive) are used as carriers.
Available potencies range from 5mg/ml to 30mg/ml, but not all potencies are available in all flavors – and there are a lot of flavors: natural, blueberry moon, cherry limeade, strawberry-banana, cool berry, tropical punch, grape, watermelon, tutti-frutti, lemon, and apple. Once again, there’s no clue which of those flavors are natural and which are artificial.
Terpene-Rich Hemp Oil Tincture
CBD American Shaman’s terpene-rich product line is closest to “standard” CBD oil, with MCT coconut oil used as a carrier. Additional terpenes are also blended into the formula, theoretically to help boost the entourage effect even more; the jury’s still out on whether that works well.
The company sells these oils in full-spectrum and broad-spectrum choices, five flavors (natural, cinnamon, grape, strawberry-banana, and blueberry moon) and four potencies (from 5mg/ml to 25mg/ml), but not all potencies are available in all flavors.
CBD American Shaman Capsules
There’s just one option if you want to purchase CBD capsules from American Shaman: 15-milligram vegetarian capsules containing cannabidiol, MCT and hemp oil, and silica. The CBD is produced in the same way that the company makes its terpene-rich oil.
CBD American Shaman Topicals
Just as with their oils and tinctures product line, CBD American Shaman sells a very large selection of topical cannabidiol offerings.
- CBD Topical Cream: This is a smooth cream that combines cannabidiol with aloe vera, lanolin, vegetable glycerin, DMSO, and a number of vitamin oils. It’s designed to fight topical pain while boosting skin health. A similar mix, with added pumpkin and lavender oils, is sold as a CBD face cream.
- CBD Skin Cream: Several natural oils (including safflower, lavender, and pumpkin oil) are added to the topical cream with the DMSO removed; it’s aimed at replenishing skin and giving it a healthy glow.
- CBD Body Lotion: A combination of CBD, cocoa and shea butter, aloe vera and nearly a dozen natural oils create a revitalizing and pain-relieving lotion.
- CBD Topical Serums: CBD American Shaman sells full-spectrum and broad-spectrum versions of its CBD oil, in the form of a terpene-rich oil-based topical serum and a roll-on product (none meant for internal use). They also offer under-eye CBD serums (full- and broad-spectrum) designed to reduce signs of aging.
CBD American Shaman Edibles
CBD American Shaman cannabidiol oil is infused into just about every type of edible product you can think of: several versions of gummies (including “gourmet” gummies, and “energy” gummies containing green tea extract and vitamins), hard candies and gum, rice krispy treats, popcorn, cookies and brownies, honey and honey sticks, as well as coffee and water.
Many of the edibles contain 10mg of cannabidiol apiece; others have smaller amounts which might still be helpful for dealing with minor pain or stress.
CBD American Shaman: The Verdict
There’s no question that this company offers one of the largest varieties of CBD products (and some delicious sounding oils) available anywhere, although for now, you’ll probably have to buy from their online site.
The water-soluble oils which are produced with the company’s proprietary nanotechnology seem promising; although there’s no firm proof that it makes that much of a difference, it could be worth comparing results produced by a competitive product over the long term. (Our reviews are snapshots rather than lengthy trials.)
On the other hand, there are several production techniques that make CBD American Shaman’s offerings a bit less than optimal; their use of artificial or synthetic ingredients in some products does give us pause, and we’ll be keeping an eye on the result of the class-action suit against them.
Prices are moderate and customer service is good. We just wouldn’t consider CBD American Shaman among the very cream of the crop – they’re more like a good entrant in the second tier of CBD producers.
If you want to learn more about CBD American Shaman, check out their website HERE.