Words of advice: research products before buying

So, once someone interested in CBD has consulted with their doctor and they believe CBD is worth a try, they simply need to get online and purchase the cheapest and most appealing option, right? Unfortunately not—the truth is that the CBD landscape can be dangerous. For all of the molecule’s benefits, it can backfire if people are not vigilant about the specific products they buy.

The reason for this is that the industry is dangerously unregulated. Though the FDA has only approved one brand of CBD drug, Epidiolex, it is not particularly militant (as of now) about monitoring its sale and usage. It’s unnervingly easy for a business to say that its product contains CBD when, in fact, it contains none at all—or too much, or even synthetic cannabidiol.

CBD products in the US are largely sourced from hemp. Hemp is a bioaccumulator, meaning it absorbs pesticides, heavy metals, and other toxins from the soil and water around it. These chemicals can end up in derived oils, creams, and other products, which can be detrimental to intakers’ health.

When purchasing CBD products, it is imperative for shoppers to pay attention to where a company’s hemp is sourced from. Some hemp farms are near locations with contaminated soil. Many CBD companies in the US do not even grow their own hemp; they purchase products made in Europe and resell it on the US market. Hemp grown overseas can be safe, but it poses a risk because it is not subject to federal or state testing.

When it comes to US-made products, states like Colorado, Oregon, and Kentucky are usually safer bets (Colorado, in particular, has an agricultural program that spot-tests hemp plants while they are still in the ground). However, there is a way for consumers to double-check a CBD product’s purity: by looking for the lab results.

Any legitimate CBD company that cares about its customers, knows its science, and wishes to provide healthy products will have its goods tested with third-party laboratories. These laboratories will test for things including purity, potency, and more, and will publish the results as a certificate of analysis (COA). State governments do not always require CBD companies to initiate this testing; it is each company’s responsibility to arrange it and post the results online. As such, it is a major hint to consumers that if a cannabis retailer does not have its COA (or multiple; it never hurts to have more than one lab test each product) in an easily accessible place, it is not a company worth doing business with. Kazmira provides an education regarding how to read a certificate of analysis here.