The lack of proper federal regulation means that there exist fake CBD products, as well as genuine items. To know the true extent of the situation, it is worth looking at laboratory study results concerning CBD goods. Earlier this year, SC Laboratories finished a study with the UCBA of some products from retailers or stores in Los Angeles and around LA. Here are some of the findings of their study.
- Over 70% of those products were not hemp derivatives or were too contaminated.
- Around 45% of these failed their safety tests, as compared to around 2% of samples which failed due to contaminants.
- In some situations, the contamination level was greater than the permissible limits.
- Around 55% of tested products labeled as industrial hemp-based or hemp, failed to be categorized as hemp.
- Almost every one of the laboratory tested goods had the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol that were enough to produce serious mind-altering effects.
While the Food and Drug Administration can come up with CBD regulations, there has been little to no guidance so far. Therefore, customers must look into the products to confirm that these are what their manufacturers claim. Now, what should you look for in fake CBD products? Here is a compilation of some signs that these are not genuine.
The Products Come Without Any Test Details
All CBD manufacturers should give customers third-party laboratory test reports or results showing how their goods fared in screenings for cannabidiol, tetrahydrocannabinol, and contaminants. The report has to come with the item’s batch number; THC and CBD quantities; and certification that indicates that contaminants fall within permissible limits. For your information, these limits may vary according to state, plus solvent residues, pesticides, and heavy metals are among the product contaminants.
A CBD item coming with no detail regarding its test or with an outdated third-party laboratory report is an indication that it has none of the advertised components. The information has to be accessible to customers through each CBD brand’s site or a product QR code.
The Label Comes With Virtually Unbelievable Marketing Claims
Does a CBD gummy or tincture bottle claim that it can fix sleep issues or cure anxiety? If yes, it is likely to contain fake CBD gummies or tinctures. The FTC and the FDA allow manufacturers or vendors to make health claims for just prescription medication. There is only one prescription CBD product in the market as the FDA does not allow categorizing the rest as so. Besides, exaggerated marketing lingo, like ‘100% CBD’ or ‘Real CBD’, is also a red flag.
The Product Comes With No Dosage Information
You also have to be cautious regarding CBD product labels without any pertinent piece of information. The label should mention how much cannabidiol and/or tetrahydrocannabinol you will get through every single serving, besides the product’s total phytocannabinoid content. Apart from helping to avoid your potential dosing confusion, that will further assure that the product you are looking at contains the components that you seek.
The Item Has Very Cheap Price
Is a CBD item considerably more affordable than all the other hemp derivatives in the market? If yes, it possibly will not even contain cannabidiol. Why? Because CBD does not come cheap. The products containing it are expensive because manufacturers pass on overheads and other CBD-related costs to customers.
It takes specialized pieces of equipment to extract CBD and other compounds from industrial hemp, which add to the product’s cost. The cost related to growing the plant also accounts for the hefty price of the product. It can take a large amount of labor to cultivate hemp, and then there are additional expenditures as cultivation license fees and state-specific regulatory costs. There are also the costs involved in third-party laboratory testing.
Blatant Labeling Inaccuracies
Manufacturers usually categorize their CBD goods as ‘isolate’, ‘broad-spectrum’, and ‘full-spectrum’.This means one of the three phrases will be on their product labels. In most cases, the product turns out to be the same as what the manufacturer labels it as. However, in certain situations, it ends up being something slightly different.
For instance, a full-spectrum-type CBD product should contain all the hemp compounds. If it does not have all of these, then that CBD product would most probably be broad-spectrum-type. Sometimes, manufacturers make ‘honest mistakes’, meaning errors without knowing what the above terms mean. However, there are also situations where they may try to misrepresent their products through deliberately inaccurate labels.
It Is A Corner Store Product
CBD is available in virtually every place, from traditional retail stores to online sites to gas stations. Be extra careful about gas station CBD products. Firstly, all the aforesaid products are perhaps not of good quality. Secondly, there may not even be cannabidiol in some of these. Recent investigations have discovered that some gas station goods were passed off as CBD items.