With CBD readily available just about everywhere today, it is important that you know you’re buying yours from a reputable retailer, made by a reputable company and that third-party testing is available.
What this means is that the company not only did their own testing on the product but they provided samples to independent labs to do testing which had no vested interest in the company. Third-party testing is the best way to be sure you are getting an unbiased report on any product, especially on CBD.
While CBD is legal from a national standpoint, thanks to the Farm Bill of 2018, the industry itself is not overly regulated as of yet. The FDA is playing a game of ‘catching up’ right now and don’t have steps in place to really regulate the industry as it should.
It is important that consumers understand what they are getting and how to read lab reports for themselves. Let’s go over it to help you understand.
Cannabinoid Contents Profile
CBD is a cannabinoid. Therefore, this profile is going to show you the amount of CBD in the product as well as any other cannabinoids that are present. Most products are sold in a 30mL bottle, which is expected to contain 30 servings.
Therefore, the milligrams of the bottle should total whatever the bottle is being sold as – 500 MG, 1000 MG, etc.
A 500 MG bottle will contain 30 servings at approximately 16.6 MG per serving. Acceptable variances are considered to be 10-20%. So the report will show you in one serving how many MG were actually present, letting you know if the bottle is labeled fairly correctly on dosage strength.
You will also see “other cannabinoids” listed. This lets you know if this is a full-spectrum product. If it is labeled as full-spectrum, then other cannabinoids should be present. If only CBD shows in the tests, then it is not a full-spectrum product.
If THC is present, and it should be in a full-spectrum product, it will be listed here and should be at or under .03% to be sold legally in all fifty states.
You should also understand that because THC is present, even in small amounts, it can still trigger a positive drug test result and you may need to take this into consideration.
It depends on your metabolism and how your body processes the THC. Some people process it out more slowly and this could be problematic if they need to pass a random drug screening at their job.
The other cannabinoid content may seem very random and unimportant but if you Google them you’ll find that they also have important features that make them very helpful and therapeutic for many things.
The presence of other cannabinoids is also a good thing due to what is called the ‘entourage effect’ when they work together and complement each other. They work as a team to tackle your woes.
Heavy Metal Content
This is important because it tells you about possible contaminants in the hemp that your CBD was extracted from. Cannabis plants are natural soil remediators. This means that they pull up and absorb things from the soil they are grown in.
Tiny traces of lead are not that uncommon, but you will see that the lab results will say “PASS” if the CBD is fine. If the levels are higher than what is considered a trace, the test will not say PASS.
You should be very leery of any company that has omitted this part of the test or is not being up front with their information.
Terpenes
The aroma of marijuana, CBD, and every other plant in the world, is the work of terpenes. They also provide therapeutic benefits of their own. They will be listed on the lab report if they are present. They will vary from one batch to another, sometimes within the same brand of CBD oil.
This is normal. You should get a new report for each batch you purchase from. Only CBD content should remain the same.
The Last Section of Each Report – Microbiological Contaminants
This part of the report is the same as what is done on packaged foods. Are there bacteria present in the product? These numbers let you know that it is safe to ingest.
There may be bacteria present and these bacteria can continue to grow and spread. Depending on what it is, you could not just get sick, you could die.
This section will have a PASS or FAIL designation. If you see any FAIL, this product isn’t safe to consume. End of story.
These tests and reports are very simple to read and understand if you take your time and actually read through it. If the report as a QR code at the top, you can verify that it wasn’t forged or altered in any way.
The lab that did the testing should be listed at the top and you can also contact them if you have any reason to believe that your report has been falsified.
If you are new to CBD, look at the third-party testing and be clear on what you are getting. Feel free to check out the testing and the lab that did it too. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make sure that you are getting the best possible product that you can. Your body is worth it.