Ethics Policy

Why This Policy Exists

The CBD industry is crowded, commercially driven, and — in places — poorly regulated. That makes honest, independent editorial content more valuable, and more easily compromised. This ethics policy sets out the principles that govern how we work, how we manage conflicts of interest, and where we draw the line. It applies to everyone who contributes to the Express CBD Blog, whether as a staff writer, freelancer, or external reviewer.

Editorial Independence

The Express CBD Blog is owned and funded by Express CBD, an online CBD retailer. We are transparent about this relationship. However, commercial ownership does not determine editorial output.

Editorial decisions — what to cover, how to frame it, what conclusions to draw — are made on journalistic and reader-interest grounds, not commercial ones.
No article is written, amended, or suppressed because of its potential effect on Express CBD’s sales or reputation.
Products sold in the Express CBD store are not given preferential treatment in reviews or buying guides. If a product we stock performs poorly against others, we say so.
The Express CBD commercial team does not have approval rights over editorial content before publication.

Conflicts of Interest

We require everyone who contributes to this blog to disclose any relationship — financial, personal, or professional — that could reasonably be seen to influence their coverage of a topic, brand, or product.

This includes:

Ownership of shares or financial interest in a brand being reviewed
A personal or professional relationship with a brand’s founders or PR team
Having been employed by or contracted to a brand being covered
Receiving gifts, hospitality, or benefits from a brand beyond product samples for review purposes

Where a conflict of interest exists and cannot be avoided, it will be disclosed clearly within the relevant article. Where a conflict is severe enough to compromise objectivity, the contributor will be reassigned and the conflict will not be disclosed — the article simply will not be written by that person.

Product Samples & Brand Relationships

We regularly receive product samples in order to carry out reviews. This is standard practice in our industry and does not in itself constitute a conflict of interest, provided it is handled correctly.

Our rules on samples:

Receiving a sample does not guarantee coverage, and it never guarantees positive coverage.
Brands do not see reviews before publication, and they have no right to request amendments.
The fact that a product was provided as a sample is disclosed in every review where this applies.
We do not accept cash payments, advertising spend, or other commercial incentives in exchange for editorial coverage.
We do not participate in pay-to-review schemes under any description.

Health Claims & Scientific Accuracy

CBD sits at the intersection of wellness, commerce, and science — an area where overstatement is common and potentially harmful. We hold ourselves to a high standard.

We do not claim or imply that CBD treats, cures, or prevents any medical condition.
Health-related statements are attributed to specific studies or regulatory bodies, not stated as general fact.
We distinguish clearly between established evidence, emerging research, and anecdote.
Where the science is contested or inconclusive, we say so rather than presenting one side as settled.
We do not amplify sensationalised research findings without context.

If you believe we have made a health claim that crosses this line, please contact us using the details at the bottom of this page.

Legal & Regulatory Responsibility

CBD law varies significantly across the countries and languages we publish in. We take our responsibility seriously.

We do not publish content that encourages readers to purchase or use products that are illegal in their jurisdiction.
Legal information in our articles is provided for guidance only and is not legal advice. Readers are directed to verify current rules for their country.
We review legally sensitive content regularly, as regulatory frameworks in this space change frequently.
Contributors are required to flag legal uncertainty rather than state a legal position confidently when the picture is unclear.

Treatment of People & Brands

We cover a wide range of products, brands, and topics. Our standards for how we write about them are consistent:

We do not publish content that is personally abusive toward individuals — including founders, employees, or public figures connected to a brand.
Criticism of a product or company is based on verifiable facts, not rumour or commercially motivated agenda.
We give brands a reasonable opportunity to respond before publishing critical coverage where that is appropriate.
We do not engage in speculative coverage designed to damage a competitor’s reputation.

Contributor Standards

All contributors to the Express CBD Blog — staff or freelance — are expected to:

Represent their qualifications and expertise honestly
Disclose conflicts of interest before accepting an assignment
Attribute claims to their sources accurately
Not plagiarise content from other publications
Not fabricate quotes, data, or experiences

Breach of these standards may result in content being retracted and the contributor’s relationship with the blog being terminated. Retracted content will be handled in line with our Corrections Policy.

Reporting an Ethics Concern

If you believe we have breached this ethics policy — whether as a reader, a contributor, or a brand — we encourage you to contact us directly.

Report an ethics concern → blog.express-cbd.com/contact-us/

Please describe the concern as specifically as possible, including the URL of any relevant article. Ethics concerns are reviewed by editorial management and treated as a priority. You will receive an acknowledgement within 3 working days and a substantive response within 15 working days.

We take ethics complaints seriously and will not dismiss them on the basis that they are inconvenient or commercially uncomfortable.

Last reviewed: April 2026 To raise an ethics concern: blog.express-cbd.com/contact-us/