Fake CBD Products – Caveat Emptor
How Do I Know if the CBD product I am getting is GOOD?
How do I AVOID Fake CBD Products?
One of the largest questions facing consumers in the CBD industry today is ‘How do I know if my CBD product is real, reliable, and safe?’
Another most frequently asked question is ‘How do I know if the amount of CBD they say is in the product, is really “in” the product?’
Years ago, for those of you who don’t know the Brady Bunch show (yes, we are aging ourselves with this analogy), there was an episode where Mike Brady discusses with Greg the lesson of “Let the Buyer Beware” when he purchased a legitimate lemon. For those of you who do not know the plot, here is a quick synopsis.
The episode first aired on October 8th, 1971, and shows Greg buying a used car that turns out to be a hunk of junk … almost as old as the sitcom itself. Disappointed that he had been “taken for a ride” (no pun intended), Mike Brady tells his son, this is a lesson of Caveat Emptor – let the buyer beware.
Fortunately for automotive prospective buyers today, Carfax has been one of THE most trusted entities for purchasing used cars. But what about CBD products?
Believe it or not, according to a recent report by The Digital Citizens, “CBD Confusion: How Consumers Can Be Misled”, research shows that CBD levels listed on product labels may often be very inaccurate.
In fact, more than half of the products purchased and tested by Digital Citizens contained CBD levels that were 20 percent higher or lower than what was listed on the packaging. In most cases, CBD levels were less than half, with some containing less than 10 percent, of what the label claimed. That means consumers were paying for and receiving essentially a placebo. Talk about Fake CBD Products! WOW!
According to the report, the CBD levels were significantly different. For example, the products Talyoni Youthful Glow 850mg Tincture; Relax Dried Fruit Apricot CBD 750mg; Meds Biotech Eucalyptus Spearmint Bath Bomb 100mg; Chronic candy Gourmet Chocolate Banana OG 200mg; Just CBD Cannabidiol Gummy Worms 750 mg; and, Yum Yum Gummies Twin Cherries Extreme Strength 250X each had less than half the CBD claimed on the bottle.
At CalmEffect, we find this to be an unacceptable statistic, especially considering how many people are looking for CBD to relieve pain, anxiety, or help with sleep or other health issues and are relying on accurate information. Fake CBD Products are not only unethical, but they could also potentially contain harmful chemicals.
So, the question is, how can we KNOW for sure that there is no product discrepancy between what was listed on the label and the actual amount of CBD present in the packages purchased and tested?
Well, one of the most effective ways that companies have been able to answer this question, and to prove their products are not fake CBD products, is through third-party Certificates of Analysis (COA).
Independent analytical laboratories provide testing services for hemp biomass, CBD extracts and finished products in order to offer an unbiased report on the cannabinoid and contaminant levels. It tells producers and consumers alike what their product contains so they can be confident in its quality and safety.
And, believe it or not, many CBD companies provide fraudulent COAs.
Two trusted third-party labs are Eurofins and ProVerde, and in the report, they give their advice on how to read a COA and know if it is authentic or not and such testing is the most reliable way to avoid fake CBD products. Reputable companies will have this testing available for you to review.
According to both companies, fraudulent COAs are prevalent, and the two most common adulteration methods is changing the name of the company on the document or changing the reported numbers. Furthermore, most third-party labs do not have a regulatory foundation that performs audits or standardizes their testing procedures. Therefore, some untrustworthy CBD businesses try to take advantage of this by producing fraudulent COAs.
Companies that do not meet regulations or safety standards may use a fake or altered COA. Even third-party labs themselves could be ‘dry labbing,’ meaning they produce fake results to keep their clients happy and returning.
Additionally, according to ProVerde, laboratories do not have industry-standard testing procedures for cannabinoids or cannabis products; so, when it comes to cannabinoids, analytical methods vary from lab to lab.
So, knowing all that, here are the top 5 things you can do, to help verify the authenticity and quality of the CBD, and the safety and efficacy of your products (namely, how to avoid fake CBD products)
- Check for a QR code on the product package — this will link you directly to the Certificate of Analysis.
- Make sure the COA is produced by a third-party and is not an “in-house” COA.
- Look into the lab who produced the COA — are they reputable? Is the lab facility ISO accredited? This is VERY important.
- Make sure all of the identifying information is present — batch number, product name, company name and contact, lab name and contact, etc.
- Contact the third-party laboratory to verify if the COA provided to you matches the one they have on record.
Now, as far as buying CBD products recommended by CalmEffect, or through our partners, we can assure you that we ONLY deal with ISO certified companies, who have been verified by third-party labs.
That is why we decided WE would begin carrying CBD. We want our customers to get real, high-quality, 3rd-Party Tested CBD Products!
We pride ourselves on being a single source for everything you need to know about Cannabis and also bringing the best CBD options through quality and innovation.
Our goal has always been to provide the industry’s absolute highest-quality CBD while providing state-of-the-art production and manufacturing techniques in the products we select to carry.
We supply products with the highest-quality hemp, combined with the industry’s most sophisticated manufacturing methods, and it is obvious why our CBD is the first choice for a wide range of people looking for natural support.
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SHOP CBD NOWStill unsure if CBD will help?
If you are still unsure of the benefits of CBD, or how you might go about learning more, visit our page, Best CBD Options – What is CBD and What Are My Best CBD Options?
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