CBD Lion is a Chicago-based CBD brand selling a wide variety of CBD and THC products sourced from organic hemp and tested by a third-party lab. The company does a particularly good job of offering many CBD oil flavors, strengths, and formulas.
Summary
Although CBD Lion is not as well known as top-tier American brands, it’s still a solid option thanks to its impressive product selection.
Pros
- Extensive product lineup
- Isolate, broad, and full-spectrum products
- Third-party testing
- Multiple potencies and flavors
- Reasonable prices
Cons
- Website is a bit outdated
- Only CBD oils are tested for contaminants
- Low minor cannabinoids in many products
Table of Contents
CBD Lion Overview
CBD Lion is a small, family-run CBD vendor based in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The family-run company was founded by Erik Lundgren, Andrew Stepniak, and Katie Lundgren Nauert in 2017.
It offers a wide range of hemp products that include CBD oils, capsules, topicals, gummies, pet formulas, and intoxicating THC products.
CBD Lion’s products are sourced from organic American hemp farms. A third-party laboratory tests them to confirm their potency.
Did you know? Some of CBD Lion’s products have won awards. For example, they won the best edible award at the 2019 CBD West Expo in Anaheim, California.
CBD Glossary
- Hemp: cannabis variety with high CBD and low THC levels (no more than 0.3%).
- Terpenes: aromatic plant compounds with various beneficial properties (1).
- Minor cannabinoids: CBN, CBG, CBC, and other beneficial cannabinoids found in smaller amounts in hemp. They may work in synergy with CBD.
- Full-spectrum: whole-plant hemp extract containing multiple cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. This form of CBD is about four times more potent than pure CBD (2).
- Broad-spectrum: whole-plant hemp extract similar to full-spectrum CBD, but with THC removed (may contain trace amounts).
- CBD isolate: pure CBD without any other hemp compounds.
CBD Lion CBD Products Lineup
CBD Lion offers a variety of CBD and THC products in multiple potencies and flavors. They’re available in all three types of CBD: isolate, broad-spectrum, and full-spectrum, so you have many options to choose from. There are also multi-product bundles at reduced prices.
CBD Lion Product Lineup
CBD Oil Tinctures
| CBD Potency | 17-167 mg/ml |
| Volume | 15-120 ml |
| Total CBD | 250-20,000 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.03–0.08 |
| Type | Full & broad-spectrum, isolate |
| Flavors | Many |
| Third-Party Test | View report |
CBD Lion offers CBD oil in all three possible extract types: full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate. Better yet, they’re available in a wide variety of flavors and strengths, making it easy to find the right product for yourself.
The four flavored 1000 mg tinctures are infused with a blend of terpenes either for daytime use or to help you sleep: blueberry (PM), grape (PM), lemon (AM), and strawberry (AM).
But third-party tests show only about 4% minor cannabinoids in the full-spectrum oils, which is low.
CBD Gummies & Edibles
CBD Gummies
| CBD Potency | 25 mg |
| Gummy Count | 20-80 |
| Total CBD | 500-2000 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.05–0.08 |
| Type | Isolate |
| Flavors | 4 |
| Third-Party Test | View report |
CBD Lion sells gummies containing 25 mg of pure CBD. They come in strawberry, raspberry, and assorted flavors. There’s also a version infused with 3 mg of melatonin for sleep. The gummies are vegan and made with natural flavoring and coloring.
CBD Chocolate
| CBD Potency | 15 mg |
| Square Count | 15 |
| Total CBD | 225 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.07 |
| Type | Full-spectrum |
| Varieties | 2 |
| Third-Party Test | Not available |
This CBD-infused chocolate comes in dark chocolate and milk chocolate varieties. It’s made with standard chocolate ingredients and stands out for containing full-spectrum rather than pure CBD. But CBD Lion needs to add third-party test results to verify this.
CBD Capsules
| CBD Potency | 30 mg |
| Capsule Count | 34 |
| Total CBD | 1000 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.06 |
| Type | Full & broad-spectrum |
| Third-Party Test | View report |
These vegan gummies come in THC-free and full-spectrum (with 2.5 mg THC) varieties. Third-party tests show about 10% minor cannabinoids for the full-spectrum softgels, which is a good result.
Delta-8 & Delta-9 Products
Delta-8 Tincture
| D8 Potency | 33 mg/ml |
| Volume | 30 ml |
| Total D8 | 1000 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.06 |
| Type | Isolate |
| Third-Party Test | View report |
This delta-8 THC tincture contains 1000 mg of pure delta-8.
Delta-8 & 9 Gummies
| THC Potency | 10-25 mg |
| Gummy Count | 30 |
| Total THC | 300-750 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.07–0.17 |
| Type | Isolate |
| Flavors | Assorted |
| Third-Party Test | View report |
CBD Lion’s hemp-derived delta-8 (25 mg) and delta-9 THC (10 mg) gummies come in assorted flavors of blue raspberry, mango, pineapple, and strawberry. They’re made with vegan ingredients.
Topicals
| CBD Potency | 17-167 mg/ml |
| Volume | 50-100 ml |
| Total CBD | 40-1000 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.07–0.25 |
| Type | Full-spectrum & isolate |
| Flavors | Many |
| Third-Party Test | View report |
You can choose from many topical CBD products, including:
- CBD Lotion in isolate and full-spectrum formulas
- CBD roll-on with popular topical pain relievers menthol and lidocaine
- CBD bath bombs (100 mg) in 5 scents: Charcoal, Citrus, Eucalyptus, Lavender, and Rose
- CBD patches (40 mg total/10 mg per patch – 4 patches included) with 2% menthol and 4% lidocaine
- CBD sport strips (80mg total/40mg per strip – 4 strips included) with 2% menthol and 4% lidocaine)
- CBD sports tape Roll 480mg total (10 feet) with 2% menthol and 4% lidocaine)
While I like the variety, some of these products, like the CBD sports tape, seem a little gimmicky.
Pet Products
Pet CBD Oil
| CBD Potency | 17 mg/ml |
| Volume | 30 ml |
| Total CBD | 500 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.06 |
| Type | Isolate |
| Flavors | 3 |
| Third-Party Test | View report |
This pet CBD oil has unflavored, peanut butter, and turkey flavors. I’d like to see additional strengths added for large dog breeds and either a broad-spectrum or full-spectrum formula.
Pet CBD Treats
| CBD Potency | 5 mg |
| Treat Count | 30 |
| Total CBD | 150 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.27 |
| Type | Full-spectrum |
| Third-Party Test | View report |
Designed for dogs, these apple-flavored treats contain 5 mg of full-spectrum CBD each. They’re made with vegan, organic ingredients and are gluten-free. But third-party tests don’t show THC or any minor cannabinoids in these treats, except CBDa.
Price & Value
The easiest way to compare the value of CBD products is to divide the total cost by the amount of CBD. For example, if you have a 1500 mg CBD oil that costs $100, its price per milligram (mg) of CBD would be 100/1500 = $0.07.
You also have to consider that the prices vary by product type. If we break down the prices of CBD Lion’s products, we get:
- CBD oil: 3-8 cents per mg of CBD
- Gummies: 5-8 cents per mg
- Capsules: 6 cents per mg
- THC products: 6-17 cents per mg
- Topicals: 7-25 cents per mg
- Pet products: 6-27 cents per mg
Most of the prices are either close to or below average for each category. You also get added savings from free shipping and buying bundle packs. Overall, the value you get with CBD Lion is pretty good.
Hemp Source and Production Process
CBD Lion sources its products from organic hemp grown in Kentucky, Colorado, and Oregon. These states grow the highest quality hemp in the country, so that’s a great sign.
The company uses both carbon dioxide (CO2) and ethanol extraction to isolate CBD and other beneficial compounds from hemp. These methods are recognized as the safest and most efficient ways to create CBD oil products.
Third-Party Testing
CBD Lion sends its products to be tested at several labs, including ACS Laboratory, a reputable lab out of Florida. Some tests are also done by Marin Labs, which has received some criticism for inaccurate test results. The tests check the levels of CBD and other cannabinoids.
Additionally, the CBD oils are tested for contaminants, but the test results are not posted publicly.
Third-Party Test Results
I always look at third-party lab test results to confirm that CBD companies sell safe, accurate, and effective products. Specifically, I check for:
- CBD content, which should be within 10% of the label (3)
- The levels of THC and minor cannabinoids like CBG and CBN
- Terpene content (if tested)
- Whether the CBD type (full, broad-spectrum, or isolate) is accurate
- Whether there are any contaminants
I checked the most recent certificates of analysis (CoAs) to see how accurate CBD Lion’s products are. Most of the results are solid, but I noticed several issues:
- There’s no contaminant testing for most products
- Many full and broad-spectrum products are low in minor cannabinoids (which makes them less effective)
- The most recent tests for some products are a bit dated
I added a CoA above to give you an example:
- The 1000 mg full-spectrum CBD oil test found 1142 mg of CBD, which is 14% higher than the label. A decent result, especially since getting more CBD than less is better. However, the tests only found 4% minor cannabinoids, which is low. I expect high-quality full-spectrum products to have at least 10%.
Overall, CBD Lion can improve by improving the minor cannabinoid content of broad and full-spectrum products. It would also be nice to see the contaminant test results for the CBD oils.
Shipping & Returns
CBD Lion ships to the United States for free. If you spend over $75, you get faster UPS shipping (1-4 days delivery). There’s a 30-day return policy with a 30% restocking fee for new, unopened items.
Customer Service & Reputation
CBD Lion has a solid reputation with its customers. It has over 3,000 customer reviews, giving it 5 stars.
I also like that the company is transparent: it’s a family-run business out of Chicago, founded by the trio of Erik Lundgren, Katie Lundgren Nauert, and Andrew Stepniak.
My Verdict: CBD Lion is a Solid Brand
Although it’s not a top-tier CBD company, CBD Lion is still a solid choice. The company offers a wide variety of products — and CBD oils in particular — to make it easier to find the right flavor, strength, and formula for your needs.
On top of that, CBD Lion is transparent about its manufacturing process and the people behind the company.
But it does have a few areas to improve on. I’d like to see the contaminant testing done for all products, not just oils. Also, the broad and full-spectrum products need higher minor cannabinoid levels (ideally 10% or more) to match up to similar offerings from leading CBD companies.
The website could also use an update to make it easier to navigate.
Gleb is a CBD & cannabis expert from Vancouver, Canada. He’s read thousands of studies on CBD and other supplements, helping him translate complex science into plain language. Gleb has tried and reviewed dozens of CBD brands and products, written third-party testing reports, and knows the CBD industry inside and out. When not writing, he likes to kickbox, travel, and tell everyone how awesome intermittent fasting is.
