Having touched on the minefield that is buying CBD on Amazon, we thought we’d touch on another problem plaguing an exploding CBD market: poor quality CBD.
So the first question is, why does so much low-quality CBD exist in the marketplace?
– New industry & product
– Vulnerable buyers
– Biased information sources
– Unregulated products
– Product testing unenforced
– Incentive to reduce costs
– Difficult to determine quality cheaply
Research published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that around 40 percent of CBD products purchased online do not contain as much of the compound as printed on the labels. About 26 percent included higher concentrations than they were supposed to. Some of these products even tested positive for enough THC (the stoner compound) to cause a person to fail a drug test.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has spent nearly five years urging consumers to “beware purchasing and using any such products.” But apparently, all anyone wants to hear in their search for a miracle cure is the hype. Nevertheless, in laboratory tests, the agency found many of these products do “not contain the levels of CBD they claimed to contain.” This means a lot of consumers who have bought into the CBD craze are out there getting scammed. And if they are purchasing CBD to help with a specific medical condition, the swindle becomes more than just about the money
One of the primary problems is that there’s little to no way for a customer to confirm the amount and quality of CBD in a product they buy. Even for manufacturers, the process of extracting CBD is labor intensive and costly, and aside from lab-testing each and every unit of product (which isn’t feasible) there’s always an element of chance. Many reputable companies now ‘batch test’ their products using third-party outfits, which is a great way to ensure that the product your getting is exactly what it says on the label.
Now, if you’re lucky enough to live in a state where medical marijuana is legal, then you can rest easier knowing that if you shop there you have the government keeping an eye on the quality of your cbd with third-party lab testing. But for those that don’t, it can be hard to tell exactly what you’re getting for your hard-earned money.
It’s become a staple segment for local news outlets, but buying random CBD products and sending them for independent lab testing often yields shocking results, with products containing half or even none of the CBD they claim to.
So how can you guard yourself against poor or low-quality products?
A helpful resource – though by no means complete – for finding bad actors is this directory of warning letters the FDA has sent to companies whose products weren’t as advertised.
Another great resource is the Hemp Authority, these industry lobby group maintains a list of what they consider to be reputable and high-quality producers. This is a great stepping stone for filtering out the hype and the scams and finding a viable product that works for your needs.
What To Look For:
– Always read the reviews.
– A price in line with the rest of the market.
– Third-party lab testing credentials that are tested per-batch.
– Explicitly listed total CBD content, and per dose (eg: mg/ml) dosage information.