Study finds 70% of CBD is mislabeled
On November 7th, 2017 Johns Hopkins University released a study that found that 70% of CBD products sold online were mislabeled. The study analyzed 84 CBD products sold by 31 companies online.
The study found that only 30% of the CBD products contained the amount of CBD labeled by the company, within a +/- 10% variation. Unfortunately, the remaining 70% were mislabeled, with CBD levels above or below what the manufacturers label represented (within a +/- 10% variation).
Mislabeling is a major concern in the hemp industry. Mislabeling occurs for two reasons:
1. There is no standardized lab testing for CBD and other cannabinoids; however, organizations are working hard to establish standards.
The other larger reason is because,
2. There is no regulatory agency ensuring the quality and accuracy of product testing and labeling (organizations are working hard on this too).
This testing includes the phytocannabinoid spectrum (CBD, THC and other cannabinoids) as well as contaminants like mold, mildew and E. Coli.
But there is a solution.
Verified Life Cycle was established to counter this mislabeling issue. Verified Life Cycle (VLC) is a third-party verification unit created by Think Hempy Thoughts.
VLC’s verification process requires companies to report third-party laboratory testing (and in-house testing, if available) for each product’s:
- phytocannabinoid spectrum
- microbiologics
- heavy metals
- residual solvents, and
- pesticides/herbicides.
The verification process also requires manufacturers submit their batch records process and their recall procedures.
This process can be tedious for manufacturers, especially new companies just getting on their feet.
However, it is essential for companies to safeguard their customers from poor quality products, for the sake of the consumer and the industry.
Anavii Market realized this issue early on and has taken progressive steps to ensure manufacturers are meeting the expectations of their labeled product.
Once Anavii Market receives the product, they also take an additional quality assurance step. They randomly sample the products so that they can compare the lab results of the submitted and randomly sampled products.
You will find that all the CBD products sold on Anavii Market are third-party products. They don’t manufacture any of them. Instead they verify their quality through their verification process, Verified Life Cycle, providing customers with quality products they can count on!
They also do more than just that.
The same Johns Hopkins study presented concern over the CBD content and THC content. In some cases products contained THC when the product apparently was not labeled as containing THC.
This is a common occurrence in the industry because there are no labeling standards. Therefore, there is no label that breaks down the amount of CBD and THC and other minor cannabinoids. At this point in the industry, all the cannabinoids are often lumped under CBD.
The major cannabinoid found in hemp is cannabidiol (CBD). It is the most commonly known cannabinoid outside THC.
Hemp cannabinoid products (commonly termed as CBD or hemp extract) primarily contain CBD and other minor cannabinoids like CBC, CBG, CBDa and CBN. These are non-intoxicating.
While THC is the other major cannabinoid in cannabis, it is primarily found in high concentrations in marijuana, not hemp.
Conversely, CBD isolate DOES NOT contain ANY other cannabinoid. It is solely CBD.
We know it’s confusing, but that’s where we come in.
Anavii Market operates to make it easier to find the best product for you. They not only verify the quality, but they provide transparent information on the cannabinoid spectrum of these products. This way you can find, compare and buy exactly what suits you!
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JAMA. 2017;318(17):1708-1709. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.11909
**Anavii Market does not verify the product’s label. They verify the quality of the content inside the product.