Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Review: The Company That Used To Be Select ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº - ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº

ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº (Select ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº): Products and Brand Reviews (2022)

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Since the sale of cannabidiol (ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº) products has been legal in all 50 states since late 2018, the ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº industry is still in its infancy. For that reason, all sorts of operations – both legitimate producers and fly-by-night ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº resellers – are popping up on a weekly basis.

Of course, a few big companies have been around for a while and their names may sound familiar. It’s certainly not unusual, though, to come across splashy ads or websites promoting unfamiliar ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº brands. You may even see positive “reviewsâ€� of those companies’ products as soon as they’ve been released; many of those reviews are written in exchange for free products or cash. (If you were wondering, our reviews are completely honest. We don’t even accept free products for review.)

But not all “newâ€� producers operating in the ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº marketplace are really new.

One notable example is Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº, a big company that has been in the industry for years. Their name may be new to you even if you’re a regular ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº buyer, however, because they’ve recently changed it. Until recently, Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº was known as Select ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº, a big player in both retail sales and the production and branding of cannabidiol products for huge corporations.

The producer’s rebranding was simply a marketing decision, which we’ll explain shortly. It’s important to note that the reputation built over the last few years by Select ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº was a good one and that the company maintains the same approach to creating quality products that it’s always employed.

Why the change from Select to Social? Let’s dig more deeply into the details.

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº: The Background

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº doesn’t even acknowledge its name change on its new website, so here are the details they apparently consider to be “in the past.â€�

Select ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº was originally created as a vape company in 2017, by a man who’d had personal experience developing vaping devices for pot. Cameron Forni had a friend who’d been advised by a doctor to vape marijuana, to treat the serious complications he was suffering from GERD (gastrointestinal reflux disease).

That was a problem. The wicks commonly used in vaporizers contained material that, when inhaled, could make the disease even worse. Forni did a lot of research into the mechanics of vapes, discovered a solution (wicks made from organic Japanese cotton), and eventually started manufacturing and selling vapes to be used with weed. He moved into the ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº industry a few years later.

At first, Select ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº just sold cannabidiol vape pens. When they were well-received, the company expanded and began offering an entire range of ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº products. If you’ve been wondering why the name sounds familiar, it’s because celebrities like Montel Williams have promoted their products over the years.

Here’s what was behind the name change. When it was made official in 2019, the explanation was that Select wanted to move away from its background in the marijuana business. Left unsaid were the reasons behind the decision. One was that the company wanted to make all of its products completely THC-free, and its previous work in the weed industry could create confusion about what was in its ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº. The second reason was due to a huge corporate shuffling.

Most of Select’s parent company, west coast-based Cura Cannabis, had been purchased by east coast-based Curaleaf Holdings. That made the combined entity a huge national player in weed – but Select ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº was not part of the sale. It now stands on its own, with Forni remaining as CEO. Moving away from the Select name was basically a fresh corporate start for the company, now a part of an entity called Sentia Wellness that also creates ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº topicals under other brand names.

The company still has a broad reach, not only selling its products online but in a number of retail chains. It even produces branded ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº for Sports Illustrated.

So Select ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº is now called Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº. Here’s why history is important: it’s natural for customers to look at a previously-successful company and wonder why it “hadâ€� to change its name. Was it due to product problems? Legal problems? Is there a red flag to worry about?

In a nutshell: none of the above. The company is run by the same people who founded it, and it’s still based in Oregon where it’s operated for years. The change from an emphasis on full-spectrum to THC-free ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº is an issue for buyers to consider, though, and we’ll do that next.

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº: The Approach

One of the primary selling points of Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº products is that they are THC-free. But there are two types of cannabidiol without the minimal THC content found in full-spectrum ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº, and Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº uses them both.

  • Broad-spectrum cannabidiol contains all of the components of the hemp plant except THC.
  • ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº isolate contains only cannabidiol. All other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids naturally present in hemp have been removed.

That matters because the other components in hemp work in combination through what’s called the entourage effect, to boost the effectiveness of ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº. In full-spectrum products (which Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº doesn’t sell), the entourage effect is highest. In broad-spectrum products, the entourage effect is slightly lower. In ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº isolate, there’s no entourage effect at all.

The amount of THC that’s in full-spectrum ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº is minuscule, and won’t make you high. So why do some customers prefer THC-free products? Simply because there’s no way they can mistakenly trigger a marijuana drug test. In truth, that doesn’t happen very often with full-spectrum ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº either, but many people believe they’re better safe than sorry.

Most of the processes that Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº uses to manufacture its products are the ones you’d expect from a higher-level producer. Hemp is grown organically and sourced from selected farms in Oregon, Kentucky, and Montana. Cannabidiol is either extracted with ethanol (for ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº isolate) or via steam distillation (for broad-spectrum ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº); steam distillation is safe and relatively inexpensive, while ethanol is believed by some in the industry to be the best extraction choice (others prefer the supercritical CO2 method).

The company uses MCT oil as a carrier, the best choice for distributing cannabidiol throughout the body. And when ingredients are added to the product formulas, those ingredients are all-natural.

We prefer full-spectrum ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº, but understand many people would rather go THC-free. We aren’t big fans of steam distillation as an extraction method, but it’s not a “badâ€� choice. In short, the Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº approach to production isn’t perfect, but it’s quite good – as are the products’ prices.

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Oils

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Oil Drops on white background

As mentioned earlier, the company sells both broad-spectrum and ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº isolate products. That means there are two different types of Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº oils to choose from.

The broad-spectrum oils (which they call “drops�) contain only cannabinoids and MCT coconut oil, along with stevia and various natural flavorings for the vanilla mint, Meyer lemon, cinnamon, pomegranate, blood orange, and acai berry varieties. An unflavored version (with no stevia or flavorings) is also available. The potency choices for all of these oils: 12.5mg/ml, 25mg/ml and 50mg/ml.

The unflavored ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº isolate oil also contains only cannabidiol and MCT oil. Other varieties are not only flavored with stevia and natural ingredients (peppermint, lemon ginger, and lavender), but contain extra additives like turmeric intended to boost mood and anti-inflammatory effects, ashwagandha and Rhodiola for focus and energy, and chamomile and passionflower for relaxation and rest. Available potencies range from 16.7mg/ml to 66.6mg/ml.

There’s one more Social product in the lineup: CBG oil. CBG (cannabigerol) is known as the “mother of cannabinoidsâ€� and believed to have different medicinal properties than ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº.

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Capsules

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Capsule Bottle on white background

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº uses gelcaps to deliver its cannabidiol in a more convenient form. Most of them contain 33.3mg of ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº isolate and MCT oil, as well as different botanicals, are chosen to treat different issues. “Recoverâ€� capsules also contain curcumin and black pepper extract, moringa and yerba mate are added to “Boostâ€� gel caps, and “Restâ€� capsules have valerian root and passionflower in them. “Balanceâ€� gelcaps have no extra ingredients.

The gelcaps are made from gelatin, of course, but the company doesn’t say whether they’re vegan.

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Edibles

Socail ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Gummies bottle on white background

The only relevant product line in this category is broad-spectrum ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº gummies, in five varieties. Three are standard 25mg ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº candies (raspberry, lemon, and peach mango flavors); the other two are “Sleepâ€� gummies with added valerian root and lemon balm (blackberry flavored) and “Chillâ€� gummies with added GABA and L-Theanine (lemon flavored).

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº also sells THC-free gummies – but they’re also ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº-free, so we’re not discussing them in detail.

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Topicals

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Topical Products on white background

There are nine different ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº isolate topical products, some designed for the relief of surface aches and pains, others primarily as moisturizing and renewal products. They include ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº patches and stick roll-ons, muscle rub and muscle balms, body lotion (with added chamomile and lavender) and cooling spray, lip balm, and foot renewal cream.

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Vape Pens

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Vape Pen on white background

This is where the company first made its mark (as Select ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº), and Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº still sells newer iterations of their famed disposable vape pens.

There are two different strengths of ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº isolate available for each of its varieties: Revive Lemon and Revive Grapefruit, Focus Peppermint and Focus Spearmint, and Relax Lavender. They’re tasty and effective, but since they’re disposable vapes that can’t be refilled they don’t last long – making them extremely expensive to purchase and use regularly.

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº for Pets

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Pet Products on white background

The pet formulation of broad-spectrum Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº oil comes in three strengths and four flavors, bacon, peanut butter, chicken, and natural. It’s all-natural and made with MCT carrier oil. The company also has an unusual offering for pets: lick-proof ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº paw balm, intended for use on dry or cracked paws and infused with oregano, ginger, and lavender.

Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº: The Verdict

It’s not easy to relaunch an established product with a completely new brand name, but Select ÄÛ²ÝӰԺ’s transition to Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº has thankfully left most of the company’s quality products intact.

They’re not the very best ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº products you can find, since a few manufacturing techniques are slightly less than optimal. And as you know, we think full-spectrum ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº is a better choice simply because it’s more effective.

For those who want to be sure there’s no THC whatsoever in their cannabidiol, however, Social ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº offers good quality at good prices (except for their expensive disposable vapes). This is one of the better choices for broad-spectrum or ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº isolate products.

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