Editorial Policy
How PlainCBD chooses sources, rates evidence, writes, corrects and updates its CBD guides.
CBD information can affect real health and legal decisions, so we hold every PlainCBD guide to clear standards. This page explains where our facts come from, how we rate evidence, how we write and how we fix mistakes.
Our sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): drug approvals, prescribing information, safety warnings and consumer updates.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH): including the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
- Peer-reviewed research: studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses found through PubMed.
- Other federal agencies: the CDC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- State agencies: state health, agriculture and cannabis regulators, for state-level rules.
We don’t use brand websites, sales pages or forum posts as evidence for health claims. We link our sources at the end of every guide.
How we rate evidence
When a guide discusses whether CBD may help with something, we show an evidence rating from 1 to 5:
| Rating | Label | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 4–5 | Strong | Consistent results from several good-quality human trials, or an FDA approval based on them. |
| 3 | Moderate | Some good human evidence, but with gaps, small studies or mixed results. |
| 1–2 | Limited | Few or small human studies, or only animal and lab research. Treat any conclusion as uncertain. |
A low rating does not mean CBD is harmful. It means we don’t know enough to say it works.
How we write
- Answer the real question. We start with what people actually want to know.
- Use plain words. We explain terms like “COA”, “full spectrum” and “mg per mL” the first time we use them.
- No hype. We never promise cures or overstate benefits, and we say when evidence is weak.
- Safety included. Guides cover known risks, such as drug interactions, and remind readers to talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
- Careful with the law. Hemp and CBD laws vary by state and change often. We link official sources and date our legal guides.
Review
Our guides are researched, written and fact-checked by PlainCBD Editorial against the sources we link. They are not currently reviewed by a licensed clinician, pharmacist or lawyer. If that changes, the reviewer’s name and credentials will appear on the guide.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we want to fix it. Email seobyahsan@gmail.com with the page link and, if possible, a source. We check every report. When we make a meaningful correction, we update the page and its date.
Updates
We review guides regularly and update them when research, FDA guidance or laws change. The “Updated” date shows the latest revision.
Independence
No brand pays for a positive review, a higher ranking or a softer conclusion. Advertisers and partners do not see or approve our content before it goes live. If a post or link is sponsored, we label it, and paid links use rel="sponsored". See our Advertising Disclosure.