By Dominique Astorino
Is there actually any CBD in your cannabis gummies? What about heavy metals or pesticides?
When Buying CBD Gets Scary
But buyers beware: While there are tons of fantastic cannabis-based health and wellness products out there for purchase, CBD is still brand new and thus unregulated. Just like dietary supplements, the FDA doesn't rigorously monitor the creation and distribution of CBD-so brands aren't under strict scrutiny when it comes to how they concoct, label, and sell their cannabis creations.
Is there anything quite as popular as CBD in the wellness world right now? The market is exploding with what is affectionately being referred to as the "green boom," with everything from CBD bath bombs and protein powder to CBD lube being sold on every corner of the internet. No need to find a local dispensary-because CBD is legal everywhere, you can buy it online with very few restrictions.
"There's a lot of great innovation going on right now, but because it's a new industry, there's also the fly-by-night players looking to make a quick buck. In fact, the FDA conducted their own study around CBD products and found that many don't even contain CBD. Knowing what's in products is the major purchasing concern for new CBD consumers, and we believe that regulation and consumer education is so important right now.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in November 2017, found that about 26 percent of the CBD products they tested contained significantly less CBD per milliliter than the label advertised, which "could negate any potential clinical response." There have also been more recent studies saying the same thing.
NBC New York also decided to put commercially available CBD products to the test, and the results did not look good. Their investigative team tested three brands of CBD oil and four brands of gummies, purchasing five samples of each brand. They tested them at a third-party lab, and found that less than half of the samples tested actually had the stated amount of CBD inside the product, that one brand had no CBD whatsoever in their product, one brand contained a pesticide that exceeds California's acceptable standards, and shockingly, another had four times the amount of lead (!) than is allowed by the FDA.
Because this whole space is so new, most people don't even realize that there are certain red flags or things to look for when shopping for a safe, high-quality, and pure CBD product. How do you ensure that what you're putting on or in your body is actually legit-or even safe?
First things first, don't panic. Here, some of the most credible resources within the cannabis industry lend their expertise on how to safely buy CBD-because, without regulation in place, you essentially have to do the "regulating" yourself. Here's what you should look for, what to avoid, and everything you should know while shopping for CBD.
In the cannabis space, getting to know the brand legitimately matters. Fortunately, many companies are doing their part by being transparent and giving consumers the info they need. When you start investigating any cannabis, CBD, or wellness company, look into how much they know, how much information they're putting out-not just transparency and ingredients, but forward-thinking [practices]."
Look for a brand that's not just putting random isolate into a cosmetic product, but doing the research of what's the most beneficial for the customer and showing where they're getting the hemp.
Get the Certificate of Analysis (COA)
"Without a lab report, the label can say anything," says chiropractor Allen Miller, D.C., director of operations at Doctors Cannabis Consulting and advisor at Calm by Wellness Co. When it comes to trust, as Reeves mentioned, you'll want to only buy from a company that provides a COA, or certificate of analysis. This little PDF is proof that a third-party, independent lab tested the product you're about to buy and found a number of things, including the following super-important ones.
Something to keep in mind: You'll want to know the batch number of the CBD product you're looking at, says to Megan Villa, co-founder of the hemp-focused website and shop Svn Space. "Ask for a COA for the batch number of the product you have, since these products are made in batches," she said. "You need to match the batch number to the COA that pertains to it."
Potency: Is there CBD in there? How much? Look for "total cannabinoids" or "total CBD" on the COA. "Potency tells you the level of cannabinoids in the product," said Villa. "If [the brand and product] are claiming 250mg of CBD, then this should match what it says on the COA." (Our COA for reference that ticks all the proper boxes.)
Contaminants or pesticides: Was the hemp grown in pesticide-soaked soil? Did it get into the product? Was the CBD extracted using solvents? Are they in the product? "Request batch testing [results] to make sure there's no issue of contaminants, toxins, heavy metals, etc.," says Stanley. CTFO provides that on every bottle. "Every company should not only have in-house testing but also verify through credible third-party laboratories that the product has the right concentration of CBD and is free from contaminants, residual solvents, and pesticides."
Also look for the "Microbiological Testing" section of the COA, said Villa. "This ensures there is no mold or bacteria in the hemp that was used to make your CBD product."
Safety: While there are hundreds of new CBD companies bubbling up every day, pharmacist Earl Mindell, Ph.D., at Calm by Wellness Co., urges consumers to "find a company that has been in business for more than three years." Mindell noted that it will be easier for them to show that the labs they're using are "GMP" (good manufacturing practice) as well as "certified organic and regularly inspected by the FDA." CTFO has been in business since 2015.
Stanley agreed: "Is the company third-party GMP certified? Are they manufacturing in an FDA-registered facility? Are they doing high-quality testing of the product from the farm to the shelf?" These are all questions you'll want to ask before buying a product. CTFO has the GMP third-party seal of approval.
Buy Domestically Sourced Hemp
"You want to know the origin of the hemp used in your product," said Stanley. "Hemp is a powerful phytoremediation crop, which means it cleans the soil." (It's also referred to as a bio-accumulator.)
That means when hemp is planted, it absorbs everything that's in the soil around it-which can include toxins, heavy metals, pesticides, and nuclear fallout. You'll want to ensure the hemp in your product is grown using responsible farming practices in soil that is pre-tested for toxins, says Stanley. Reeves emphasized this too, saying the way hemp is grown is tantamount to its safety as a consumer product.
"Look for CBD products made with American-grown hemp , because they're generally safer than hemp grown overseas. CTFO hemp is grown in the US.
Aim for CO2-Extracted Products
"In addition to looking at the lab reports for pesticides, how it was grown, and the metal levels, you'll especially want to know how it was extracted," says Miller. "I'm a fan of CO2 extraction because it's nontoxic." The alternates are butane- or ethanol-based extraction. Both chemicals may end up in your product. You should be able to see that in the COA. CTFO is CO-2 extracted.
Caution: Avoid "Hemp Seed Oil"
Hemp seed oil does not equal CBD: "CBD is not derived from the seed and stalk of the hemp plant because [the compound] is not present in hemp seed, and barely any CBD is present on the stalk of the hemp plant," said Dobson.
Odell and Reeves also warned about hemp seed oil sold at big-box online stores like Amazon being marketed as CBD. In reality, you're getting something that's closer to an olive oil than an actual medicine. (Just a heads up: You can't buy CBD on Amazon. And honestly, given everything you just read, you shouldn't want to.)
"If you search on Amazon for CBD product, you'll see a lot of stuff that's hemp seed oil-they're trying to capture unwitting people," said Odell. "Hemp seed oil is great; it's full of omega-3s, nutritious and everything, but there's very little (if any) CBD."
Know Your Resources
Each brand you buy from should have a support team to answer questions and walk you through all the aforementioned points.
The big thing to remember is that it's your body, so it's your responsibility to know what's going into it. Don't be afraid or anxious to ask as many questions as you need to figure the best product for you.
Disclaimer:
The information made available on this page is
based on studies and research as well as reported experiences from CBD product users.
For a medical condition always consult with a
healthcare professional before consuming CBD. These products are not intended
to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease, ailment or skin condition. Any
information contained in or made available on our website is not intended to be
used as, or be a substitute for, healthcare advice or information from licensed
healthcare practitioners. Please consult a licensed health care practitioner
regarding any potential interactions or complications before using our
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