A study LINK published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2017 analyzed the CBD content of 84 products and compared it to the amount of CBD listed on the label. The study found that a mere 30.95% of products sampled were accurately labeled. The study defined a product as being accurately labeled if the test results showed a CBD value within 10% of the amount stated on the label.
Of the inaccurately labeled products, 26.19% of them were overlabeled, meaning the label falsely claimed there was more CBD in them than there actually was. The magnitude of overstatement was also pretty spectacular. As the authors of the study stated, the “actual CBD content was negligible or less than 1% of the labeled content.” In other words, there was little to no actual CBD in over a quarter of products!
While the most obvious effect of this is the customer being ripped off, since the CBD itself is the only ingredient that is significantly costly to source, a less obvious effect was pointed out by the study’s authors. Overlabeling “could negate any potential clinical response,” meaning that the product would have little to no actual effect leaving customers with nothing but overpriced snake oil.
Surprisingly, at 42.85%, an even larger percentage of CBD products tested were underlabeled meaning there was more CBD in the product than the label claimed. Since CBD is quite pricey, so much so that it is generally sold by the gram, it’s surprising, and surprisingly sloppy, that so many manufacturers were being so carelessly heavy handed with it. On the other hand, some manufacturers we have talked with say they intentionally put in a bit extra to make sure that testing shows CBD levels at or above the amount on the label, anything but below, given the prevalence of CBD products that deliver less than they claim.
“Underlabeling is less concerning as CBD appears to neither have abuse liability nor serious adverse consequences at high doses; however, the THC content observed may be sufficient to produce intoxication or impairment, especially among children,” noted the study’s authors.
As our sister company, Kai’s Organics LINK, began to apply the same rigorous quality controls and insistence on independent lab testing to our growing CBD business, we quickly began to have issues with some of the labs we sent our products out to for testing and we stumbled on some more disturbing industry trends.
Due to the proliferation of legal cannabis products in the United States, a great number of testing laboratories have sprung up to support the industry. Unfortunately, as with any growing business sector, there are good and bad actors that come in to full the niche. Some labs are, quite simply, much more honest than others.
Because we were new to the CBD sector, we wanted to confirm our lab tests with more than one lab. We quickly found that we would often get very different results for the same products. Repeat testing turned up the same variation in results. We went back to some of our raw materials providers and took meetings with various labs trying to understand what was going on. In so doing, we discovered a common practice, something known as “lab shopping.”
Because there is so much variation in testing protocols and accuracy among labs, many unscrupulous CBD producers, if they don’t like the results of their lab tests, will go “lab shopping.” That is, instead of getting to the bottom of why their products are not testing consistently, they will keep testing with different labs until a lab returns the result they want to hear. Then they can post those results and call it good.
Even more disturbing, we heard that some labs will, upon request, simply alter test results at a client’s request. We thought we had heard it all, but that shocked even us. Is there no honor and integrity left in this world?
At Kai’s Organics, we want no part in these kinds of shenanigans! We’re
Unfortunately, inaccurate CBD levels is not the biggest concern consumers face. Far worse is the prevalence of adulteration with street drugs that has been found in a number of CBD offerings on the market. Yes, you read that right! Some CBD products have been found to contain illegal drugs!
An investigation by the Associated Press was particularly revealing.
Don’t let the term “synthetic marijuana” fool you into thinking it’s just a little pot that might get you high. Synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 and Spice, has been called “the zombie drug.”
https://apnews.com/7b452f4af90b4620ab0ff0eb2cca62cc
add link to fda regulate blog post
