The CBD market is a very exciting, up and coming market. As more and more people gain awareness and want to try it demand is on the increase, but with that has come several hurdles. Due to it being a young, blossoming market it has also previously been a largely unregulated one. As work is on going in terms of research, regulation, testing and spreading awareness, both manufacturers and customers must be wary of poor companies. They may use poor testing procedures and improper labelling, and potentially in some cases even dangerous or harmful ingredients or may not even contain any CBD at all.
As a customer you need to be able to tell a quality product manufacturer from a cowboy company, and as a manufacturer you need to stay up to date on all the latest legislation and testing.
In a 2019 study in the UK, one testing laboratory conducted a study into 30 CBD products testing for contents and label accuracy. They found that 60% of the products were incorrectly labelled. 38% of those contained less than half the amount of CBD they said they did, meaning customers were not getting what they paid for or what they thought they were getting. One of the products, a very expensive oil tincture (£90) was found to contain absolutely no CBD. They were also checked for THC concentration. The legal limit for THC concentration is no more than 0.2%. They found that around 45% of the products tested contained more than the legal limit.
If you are a CBD manufacturer, you need to work closely with a 3rd party testing facility to show complete transparency to all your customers. The labs must be accredited and meeting all regulatory standards, to make 100% sure that you are keeping your customers safe, complying to the law, and giving people what they are paying for.
If you are a CBD user, and want to make sure your product is what you think it is, make sure to look for a Certificate of Analysis (COA). A properly tested product will have of these, and if it is not readily available on a company’s website, then it should be available on request. If you cannot obtain one of these do not buy this product.
As demand for CBD products increases, and the market continues to grow it is likely that regulations will only get tighter. Cowboy companies are much more likely to be clamped down on, so make sure you do not get caught out!