Because of online markets and massive demand, CBD products are now widely available on a variety of different websites. For many people, purchasing CBD products online is a convenient and quick method of getting these products. However, according to a 2017 study from the Journal of American Medical Association, approximately 70 percent of Cannabidiol (CBD) products purchased online were not properly labeled. These mislabeled pose a severe threat to consumers and could result in serious harm.
As part of the study, 84 CBD based products were purchased from 31 different companies. After testing each of these products, only about 26 were correctly labeled. Of the mislabeled products, 36 contained much more CBD than labeled and 22 contained far less CBD than labeled.
On top of that, 21 percent of the tested products contained a concentration of THC which were as high as 6.43 mg per ml. This amount of THC can be hazardous if ingested under the wrong circumstances. Consumers who take CBD for health reasons could be put at severe risk if they consumed an incorrect dosage of CBD, let alone a dosage containing high amounts of THC.
The principal reason for these results is that the hemp and cannabis industry still lacks adequate testing and regulation of CBD based products. Even though several U.S states have legalized the use of CBD, it is specified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. So, the online market for CBD products receives no quality assurance, oversight, or testing from the FDA.
The only valid defense against mislabeled products is to only purchase CBD based products from reputable companies with proven track records.
