The benefits of CBD oil have been widely documented for its ability to reduce pain, inflammation and even seizures in children but what happens when the bottle you buy does not contain the amount of CBD oil advertised on the label? Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine alongside colleagues from the Veterans Affairs San Diego Health Care System, nonprofit research organization RTI International, marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine conducted a study to examine the quality of CBD products on the market. The results were quite disturbing. The report, which was
published in JAMA, indicated that a high percentage of products did not live up to what their labels claimed. Both higher and lower doses of CBD were found in the marijuana extract products and, in some cases, even THC was detected in high enough doses to produce a psychoactive high.
“Not Getting the Proper Dosage”
A CBD dose can be difficult to determine though we provided a
CBD dosage guide “People are using this as medicine for many conditions (anxiety, inflammation, pain, epilepsy)," said one of the study's authors Marcel Bonn-Miller. "The biggest implication (of the study) is that many of these patients may not be getting the proper dosage; they're either not getting enough for it to be effective or they're getting too much."
42% of the Samples Selected Had More CBD Than Advertised
The study evaluated 84 CBD marijuana extract products from 31 different companies and found that only 30 percent of the products contained the amount of CBD advertised on the label (within 10 percent). 42 percent of the products actually contained more CBD than what was labeled. While there are no known side effects to taking too much CBD, it has not been tested in doses exceeding 1,500 mg.
False Advertising of Inferior CBD-Focused Marijuana Extract
On the other hand, 26 percent of the products contained less CBD than what was advertised. This means that patients and parents of sick children would be spending a lot of money purchasing inferior products that may not work at all due to incorrect dosage. The result is patients not being treated for their illness in an accurate and trustworthy way.
THC in CBD Products
On top of this, 18 out of the 84 products tested actually contained THC, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana. This means children may be accidentally receiving a dose of THC along with their CBD medicines. Results show that, all in all, liquid CBD used for vape pens were inaccurate 88 percent of the time while CBD oil products were wrongly labeled 55 percent of the time. 29 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes and some of those only allow the use of marijuana extracts such as CBD oil as a form of treatment for the many illnesses the compound is known to treat. With inaccurate labeling and testing, the use of CBD oil for medicinal purposes becomes compromised. Right now, the best advice on offer for avoiding falling victim to purchasing an inferior CBD product is to only purchase from a company that is deemed reputable. Online research may be of benefit as well as consulting with a local dispensary or peers that may also have some insight into CBD products. Going with a trusted company and sticking with them seems to be the best way to protect yourself until more thorough testing processes are implemented.
