The CBD industry continues to rise like a juggernaut on nitrous and it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
From a customer’s perspective, it couldn’t get any better though.
Unlike a decade ago, you don’t have to order CBD oil from a distant part of the country or a different country even.
You don’t have to look over your shoulder for a sneaky DEA agent as you grab that plain, unbranded envelope from the mailbox.
Chances are that you’ll get a vial of CBD tincture at the neighborhood supermarket, and for cheap too.
The prices for CBD have plummeted as there’s a sudden influx of brands offering everything from CBD oils and tinctures to pomades and salves.
However, you need to ask yourself whether you are really getting what you are paying for.
There are three possibilities to consider.
- You may be getting a terribly under-dosed CBD product
- You may be getting a product that contains more THC than what’s allowed legally
- You may be getting a product laced with synthetic CBD Isolate.
The third one is the scariest of them all, even though it’s the second possibility that should be worrisome.
What are synthetic cannabinoids?
Synthetic cannabinoids are chemical compounds designed to mimic the effects of endo and phytocannabinoids.
They are quite a large group that include pharmaceutical drugs with proven positive effects (Nabilone), analogs of phytocannabinoids like CBD and THC, and even illegal designer drugs.
Ever heard of Spice? The notorious synthetic drug that can cause extreme hallucinations and is responsible for multiple deaths? That’s one of them. (https://www.unodc.org/LSS/Page/NPS)
There are tons of others that are still at early stages of research. Not all of them are bad though.
What is Synthetic CBD isolate?
Synthetic CBD Isolate is advertised as a pure, isolated form of CBD prepared chemically as opposed to sourced naturally from the Industrial Hemp plant.
In theory, it sounds like a cheaper and less-exhaustive way to derive the same compound.
This is what drives CBD product manufacturers to source it in bulk, often from Chinese B2C portals to produce CBD products are ridiculously low prices.
However, most commercially-available synthetic CBD isolate might contain a chemical called 4-cyano CUMYL-BUTINACA or 4-CCB.
That’s an analog of THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, the famous cannabinoid from the Marijuana plant that causes the high that it’s commonly associated with.
When you ingest CBD oil produced from 4-CCB, you’ll feel the effects a lot sooner than you’ll feel natural CBD.
If you are looking to use CBD to relax, imagine feeling the exact same high as you do when you smoke pot, with just three to four drops of the oil, within minutes.
The caveat is that you will not only feel the high that you get from smoking pot, you’ll also experience some of the other side effects of THC.
What is the possibility that you might get a fake CBD product?
The chances that the CBD product that you buy online or from the nearest store might be fake, are quite high.
Here’s why.
It’s a nascent industry
There has been a 180% surge in the number of search terms linked to CBD in the last one year. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
If research predictions turn out to be remotely true, you are looking at an industry that could be worth $44.4 billion by 2024.
While the demand is pretty evident, the supply is not even close to match it.
The farm bill of 2014 paved the way for the future of the Hemp Industry.
However, it was the 2018 bill that legalized the production of hemp and changed it from a controlled substance to an agricultural commodity. (https://www.farmers.gov/manage/farmbill)
In other words, American brands clamoring to join the CBD bandwagon did not have as much of a head start as international brands did.
So, a lot of manufacturers in the market today are continuing to source their products from overseas where agricultural practices can be circumspect.
Also, what’s stopping a manufacturer from opting for Synthetic CBD Isolate if it reduces the cost by as much as 50%?
There’s no regulation
Currently, there’s very little or no regulation for CBD products which is pretty evident based on the quality of the products available in the market.
This clinical study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and the John Hopkins University analyzed 84 CBD products from 25 brands. It was found that 70% of them are mislabeled. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5818782/)
Goes to show the extent of the problem when you have a product with burgeoning demand and no regulations to govern it.
That shows little about contamination from heavy metals, mold, pesticides and other chemicals, which is rife in CBD products.
However, the FDA is working to frame a regulatory process for CBD that will govern both production and sales of CBD products.
The letter that it shot off to Curaleaf can be considered as the first step towards a larger, more stringent action that could soon see manufacturers struggling to maintain compliance. (https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/curaleaf-inc-579289-07222019)
Lab-grown CBD is cheaper
While there are tons of anecdotal reviews on the effects of CBD, let’s face it.
Most people don’t know how it works or how they will react to it.
How do you know that the CBD oil is working?
Does a sense of calm overtake you? Does your mood get elevated?
There’s very little clarity on the effects.
This is why making a product from synthetic CBD cooked in a lab makes more economic sense.
CCB-4 will produce these same effects along with a heightened sense of euphoria, which can create a fake sense of satisfaction.
Natural CBD on the other hand can take up to weeks to work.
How to avoid low quality and Fake CBD
Now that you have a faint idea of the current market situation, here are some of the steps that you can take to spot a poor quality CBD product.
Not only will this ensure that you are able to source cleaner, authentic CBD products, it will also help you avoid a product made from synthetic CBD isolate.
Check the origin of the hemp
The first step towards avoiding a synthetic cannabinoid is to buy products made from farm grown hemp.
Even better if it’s home grown right here in the United States.
It would be safe to assume that all US brands offering CBD products for sale will have a website.
Visit the website and look for the origin of the hemp.
Once you know where the hemp is sourced from, a quick google search will reveal the farming regulations that govern the state where its grown.
It it’s not mentioned on the website, that’s red flag number one. Reach out to the manufacturer and enquire where the hemp was sourced from.
If it’s sourced internationally, that’s red flag number two. Ask for the specific country of origin.
Hemp is a bioaccumulator that’s also used as a phytoremediator. Without getting all technical, this means that it can absorb everything that it comes into contact with, irrespective of whether it’s good or bad.
If it’s grown in a country like China, where farming regulations are lax, you can expect the CBD product to be laced with pesticides, heavy metals and other contaminants that it absorbed from the soil.
On the other hand, Hemp grown in Europe is considered to be on-par with American grown hemp.
Ask for a Certificate of Analysis
A Certificate of Analysis or the COA is a document that’s issued by an accredited, independent testing facility that shows the exact number of cannabinoids, the exact concentration of each, microbiological levels, presence of terpenes, pesticides, heavy metals and mycotoxins, to name a few.
Most reputed brands list a COA for every batch of product that they manufacture and it’s available for public scrutiny on their website.
However, some brands choose to keep this away from public view. That’s not necessarily bad as long as you are provided access to the COA upon enquiry.
When buying CBD online or offline, ask for the COA.
Beware of unverified health claims
One of the ground rules laid by the FDA is that companies cannot make unverified claims about CBD products.
So any company that claims that their product might be able to cure a pre-existing medical condition, or provide therapeutic relief from specific medical conditions, are best avoided.
Check how the CBD was extracted
The Hemp leaves, stalk and stem have to undergo an extraction process to transition into the finished product that you see on shelves.
While there are many ways to extract CBD from Hemp, some methods are believed to produce a better quality product.
The two commonest extraction methods used by manufacturers are CO2 Supercritical extraction and an alcohol solvent-based extraction.
CO2 Supercritical extraction produces a cleaner product with fewer contaminants. However, it also takes specialized equipment that a lot of brands cannot afford.
Alcohol-based extraction comes a close second.
While shopping for CBD products, check for the extraction method.
Reach out to customer service
Every top CBD brand has a dedicated customer service team reachable via Phone or Email or Chat.
Not only does this show that the brand backs up its products, it also gives you answers to some of the doubts that you may have about the product.
You’ll also be able to explore the possibility of a guarantee in case the product is not as advertised.
Check the extract type
There are three types of CBD extracts and each one of them differs from the rest in their cannabinoid content and possibly, in the way they work in the body.
So it’s crucial that you are aware of the exact type of extract in the CBD product.
- Full-Spectrum: The Hemp plant contains 113 known cannabinoids. More may be discovered in due time. Full-spectrum CBD oil contains almost all these cannabinoids including THC, the hallucinogenic cannabinoid. However, it will contain only 0.3% or lesser of THC with a high concentration of CBD and varying concentrations of other cannabinoids like CBN, & CBG. It might also contain essential fatty acids, vitamins, proteins and fiber, all of which will be filtered in a CBD Isolate product. Experts believe that Full-spectrum CBD can be more effective than CBD Isolate due to a synergistic effect called ‘The Entourage Effect’, where the cannabinoids work more effectively in synergy than when isolated. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025619619300072)
- Broad-Spectrum: Broad-Spectrum CBD is essentially full-spectrum with THC filtered out. If your employer tests for THC metabolites, or if you are sensitive to the effects of THC, but you want to experience the benefits of the entourage effect, Broad-spectrum CBD will be the best bet for you.
- Isolate: CBD Isolate is pure CBD extract isolated from all the other cannabinoids. If you are just starting off with CBD, or are looking to use it for a specific health condition, then you might want to consider using CBD Isolate, rather than opting for full-spectrum CBD. That said, you want to keep in mind the above mentioned pointers while shopping for CBD isolate. It’s more likely to be fake than a full-spectrum product.