Rohan MathawanThe CBD industry is expanding faster than anybody would have expected. The sudden interest in CBD can be attributed to the numerous health benefits that it appears to provide. Medical experts are discovering a number of advantages of using CBD products.
Unfortunately, there are still some challenges that consumers face. One of the biggest concerns is supplier transparency and honesty.
As with any industry, consumers get a lot of information about CBD products directly from suppliers like NuLeaf Naturals. Unfortunately, many of these claims need to be taken with a grain of salt. There is a growing concern about the accuracy of the labels on CBD products, which might lead consumers astray.
This does not mean that consumers should never purchase CBD products. The benefits can be astounding, even if many of the properties do not match that was listed on the labels. However, labeling errors could make it difficult for consumers to choose the most suitable products.
This highlights the need to use independent reviewers to do your due diligence.
How accurate are labels on CBD products?
The FTC, FDA and other regulators have been investigating the authenticity of product labels in the CBD market. Researchers at major universities and private organizations have also investigated them.
The research has shown that these labels are highly inaccurate. In 2017, a study published in JAMA found that less than 31% of all CBD products were labeled accurately.
More recent research has reached similar conclusions. Last year, the FDA analyzed a number of CBD products on the market. There were 41 different products in the sample.
Among the products that the FDA analyzed, 14 of them made specific claims about the amount of CBD that they contain. A thorough lab test found that the majority of them vastly underreported the amount of CBD. The lab results showed that eight of these products had less than 80% of the CBD advertised on the label.
Consumers should be concerned that so many suppliers misrepresented the amount of CBD in their products. However, they should be equally concerned that64% of these products didn’t specify the amount of CBD at all. This lack of transparency should alarm consumers that need to make sure they are taking a therapeutically effective dose of CBD.
Fortunately, there are still plenty of decent CBD suppliers on the market. They both provide quality products and assure transparency. However, you need to know what to look for to find reputable CBD suppliers.
Assessing accuracy of claims made by CBD suppliers
Every CBD user needs to be adequately informed before making purchases. The quality of products varies tremendously in this industry. Since many companies do not accurately label their products, it can be difficult to be informed. There is a strong possibility that CBD suppliers that misrepresent their products tend to be inferior manufacturers.
Therefore, consumers must take other measures to vet their options. Here are some steps that you should take when researching CBD products.
Always look at the Certificate of Analysis
CBD suppliers are not always transparent about the methodologies that they use to assess the quality of their products. Some might have conducted their own lab tests. Others might have hired third-party companies to test their products. Less scrupulous suppliers might not have tested their products at all. Although this it’s probably prohibited in every state, regulators don’t always catch companies that make fictitious claims without a lab test to support them.
You should always look for products that have been properly tested – and a site like CBDGrade can help you read those results. You should see if a company has a Certificate of Analysis to substantiate its claims about the number of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other properties.
Look for companies that used third-party labs
As research from the FDA and other organizations shows, CBD suppliers do not accurately label the products. It should be concerning that over half of them underreported their CBD levels by at least 20%.
There are a number of possible reasons that their claims are so inaccurate. They could be deliberately misrepresenting their products. They might also have made a good faith effort to test them, but got inaccurate results due to faulty lab equipment or poor analysis. Of course, the reason for inaccurate claims is irrelevant to consumers that purchased CBD products that they didn’t know were erroneously advertised.
Fortunately,more trustworthy CBD suppliers try to remove the bias from the testing process. They commission third-party labs to analyze their products. The results of their findings will probably be a lot more accurate. Although third-party labs can still make mistakes, their findings tend to be more accurate since they took bias out of the equation.
Third-party testing companies keep their own lab results records. You can find them on their own website, as well as the supplier site.
Learn more about the supplier reputation through third-party review sites
Laboratory tests can provide some insights on specific products. However,these reports can be difficult to interpret if you aren’t familiar with CBD products already. They also might not tell you as much about the supplier themselves. Some CBD suppliers have a spotty track record and consistently produce low quality products. You want to avoid these suppliers at all costs.
You should try to learn about suppliers through other independent sources. Some websites review CBD companies in their products, so you can find out as much as possible about them.
Check readings with the Better Business Bureau
You may want to see if the Better Business Bureau has a profile on companies that you are considering purchasing CBD products from. Not all CBD companies have drawn their attention, but you might find some reviews of the BBB has records. They can let you know if any customers have complained that they were not transparent.
Do your research to find out if CBD products are properly labeled
CBD can be very beneficial for people with various health issues. Unfortunately, CBD companies don’t have the best record for accurately labeling their products. It is important to do your research before making a purchase, so you know what you are getting.