What The CBD Insider does

The CBD Insider is an independent digital media publication founded in 2018 by Ian Eckstein and headquartered at 8010 E. McDowell Rd. Ste. 111, Scottsdale, Arizona. The company operates a content-led platform covering CBD industry news, brand reviews, product rankings, and educational content targeted at US consumers researching CBD products. Its editorial operations are supported by a small team of approximately five staff covering Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Lead Writer, Content Editor, and Video Editor roles, with two family members of the founder on staff indicating a closely-held, family-operated ownership structure. No external venture capital, private equity, or parent company ownership is disclosed.

The platform's core offerings include SEO-driven editorial content (brand reviews, best-of product rankings across oils, gummies, topicals, and a Knowledge Center covering cannabinoids and drug interactions), proprietary consumer research reports (2019 and 2021 US CBD Consumer Reports surveying 1,055+ and 3,519 demographically representative respondents respectively), a CBD coupon affiliate program spanning 10+ partner brands, and a private market research services business serving CBD brands and industry organizations. The technology stack is a standard WordPress-based web publication with no proprietary platform, custom AI/ML, or mobile applications disclosed; survey research is conducted through Qualtrics as a third-party methodology partner.

Revenue is generated through three streams: affiliate commissions from reader purchases via Amazon Associates and direct CBD brand affiliate links, advertising and sponsored content placements, and custom market research engagements sold directly to CBD companies via the Editor-in-Chief. The business does not sell CBD products directly, does not publicly disclose pricing or revenue, and operates as a privately held independent publication.

Name

The CBD Insider

Legal name

The CBD Insider

Website

https://thecbdinsider.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The CBD Insider is an independent digital media publication covering CBD news, brand reviews, and product rankings for US consumers, monetized through affiliate commissions, advertising, and proprietary consumer research reports sold to CBD brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Commissions: The company earns commissions when readers click links to CBD brands and make purchases. Disclosed as Amazon Associate and affiliate links for various CBD brands including CBDistillery, PlusCBD Oil, Charlotte's Web, and others.
2. Market Research Services: Private market research services offered to CBD companies and organizations, including brand perception, target audience identification, packaging design analysis, new feature/concept testing, brand health monitoring, and competitive benchmarking.
3. Advertising/Sponsored Content: The company has an Advertise page suggesting they sell advertising or sponsored content placements to CBD brands and companies looking to reach their audience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The CBD Insider operates an independent online media and research publication covering the CBD industry. It publishes editorial brand reviews, curated "best of" product rankings, educational Knowledge Center content, and proprietary annual US CBD Consumer Reports surveying thousands of US consumers. The company also sells private consumer market research services to CBD brands and monetizes through affiliate referral commissions and advertising.

Product overview

The CBD Insider is an independent publication and media platform specializing in CBD industry news, product reviews, and market research. The company operates a content-driven platform featuring brand reviews, consumer product rankings (Best CBD Oil, Best CBD Gummies, Best CBD Topicals, etc.), an educational Knowledge Center with guides on cannabinoids and drug interactions, and affiliate coupon services. It also publishes annual consumer reports (2019 and 2021 US CBD Consumer Reports) surveying thousands of Americans about CBD usage patterns, and offers private market research services to CBD industry organizations. The portfolio is unified around consumer education and industry intelligence rather than a traditional software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CBD Brand Reviews Editorial review articles covering CBD brands such as CBDistillery, Charlotte's Web, Elixinol, Joy Organics, Lazarus Naturals, PlusCBD Oil, Receptra Naturals, and Social CBD with independent assessments of product quality and brand reputation, targeted at CBD consumers.
• Best CBD Product Rankings Curated top-pick articles including Best CBD Oil, Best CBD Gummies, Best CBD Topicals, Best Cheap CBD Oil, Best Strongest CBD Oil, and Best THC-Free CBD Oil that help consumers identify high-quality products across categories.
• 2019 US CBD Consumer Report Proprietary consumer research report surveying 1,055 respondents from 48 states to analyze CBD consumer behaviors, product usage patterns, and purchasing decisions.
• 2021 US CBD Consumer Report Expanded consumer research report surveying 3,519 demographically representative US respondents on CBD awareness, usage patterns, medication replacement trends, and demographic insights.
• Knowledge Center Educational content hub covering beginner's guides to CBD, cannabinoid science (CBD, CBG, CBDA), drug interaction guides, and evidence-based explanations of hemp and CBD topics for consumers.
• CBD Coupons Directory of discount codes and promotional offers for partner CBD brands including CBDistillery (30% off), Cornbread Hemp (25% off), PlusCBD Oil (25% off), Charlotte's Web, Joy Organics, Lazarus Naturals, FAB CBD, and others, monetized via affiliate commissions.
• Private Market Research Services Custom consumer research engagements for CBD brands and organizations covering brand perception and positioning, target audience identification, packaging design analysis, new feature/concept testing, brand health monitoring, and competitive benchmarking. Sold directly by the Editor-in-Chief on a custom-quote basis.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72.5% of respondents who recognized The CBD Insider found it helpful (highest among recognized CBD resources)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe CBD Insider participates in the Amazon Associate program, earning commissions from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links on their site.
• QualtricscoreTechnology or IntegrationQualtrics provided the survey platform and methodology support for The CBD Insider's 2019 and 2021 US CBD Consumer Reports, enabling statistically significant research.
• CBD Brands (Affiliate Partners)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate partnerships with CBD brands including CBDistillery, Charlotte's Web, PlusCBD Oil, Joy Organics, Lazarus Naturals, Elixinol, Receptra Naturals, Cornbread Hemp, FAB CBD, CBDPure, Bluebird Botanicals, Green Roads, and others. The company earns commissions from reader purchases through affiliate links and provides exclusive coupon codes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cbd-insider

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The CBD Insider