Why Lab Results are so Important
Why ask for 3rd Party Lab Results?
As CBD products become more accessible & widely used, unfortunately BAD CBD products do as well.
The state of the CBD industry is still relatively weak in regards to industry-wide regulations. This makes the potency, purity, effects and possible contaminants of CBD products difficult to know before buying.
So how to find the right CBD Company & Product in such murky waters?
Consider when you buy products like multi-vitamins or even organic vegetables. These products have strictly enforced regulations that empower the end consumer to confidently trust and consume these products.
Organic vegetable producers, for example, have to meet a set of guidelines in order to be allowed to use the “USDA Certified Organic” seal on their end packaging.
That process includes a full production review by a USDA National Organic Program-authorized certifying agent, along with rigorous testing to verify the product doesn’t contain harmful contaminants.
If a company tries to use that seal without following the proper steps, they are subject to heavy fines and litigation.
Multivitamins follow guidelines produced by the U.S. Pharmacopeia or USP, an organization that works closely with the FDA to ensure the quality of ingredients and products.
While not a government owned entity, this organization has become globally accepted as the leader in verification of quality when it comes to multi-vitamins.
Their verification program ensures a product like a multi-vitamin contains the ingredients listed on the packaging at the listed potencies, and that the product was made following FDA Good Manufacturing Practices.
Similar to the “USDA Certified Organic” seal, the USP verification program culminates in a USP verification mark that the producer can place on their product packaging. The end goal…peace of mind for the end consumer that what they see is what they get!
These seals or marks on products we consume have become a sign of trust; we see these symbols and we know that product is what the packaging says it is.
Think about it - have you ever asked your grocer for pesticide test results for the strawberries you’re holding, or asked the pharmacist at Walgreens for lab results verifying the amount of vitamin D in the bottle of multivitamins you are looking at? I know I haven’t! Because it’s engrained in our purchasing habits to trust the seals and marks of quality that regulate our everyday products.
Herein lies the challenge with the current state of the CBD industry.
These trusted seals and emblems backed by rigorous quality verification processes don’t yet exist for CBD quality controls. So how do we as consumers determine CBD quality and know that what we think we’re purchasing is really what the CBD product contains? Third party lab results!
If you’re purchasing a CBD product from ANYWHERE, there should be third party lab results available for you to review. Any dispensary worth shopping at should have lab results available in the store for you to review, and to take it a step farther the specific product you are purchasing should have lab results available for all of their products on their website.
The best quality CBD, regardless of product type, will always be lab tested to prove there is nothing to hide in the product & give you peace of mind about the purity & potency of what you’re consuming.
If the location you’re purchasing from can’t provide lab results or at a minimum direct you where to find them online those are big red flags. Unfortunately, products are being sold that don’t contain what the packaging says it does. Whether it’s an attempt to deceive for profit, or a lack of manufacturing quality control isn’t always clear, but the end result is the same - a low quality CBD product that may not deliver any effects, and could have harmful contaminants.
New and experienced consumers of CBD products need to be armed with the knowledge to purchase quality products that can help them improve the quality of their lives. Similar to the crazy fox from the CarFax commercials, consumers should be comfortable asking before they purchase a CBD product…”Show me the lab results!”
So what should you look for specifically when reading CBD lab results?
Every trustworthy CBD or Hemp Certificate of Analysis will contain most or all of these 5 elements for your review:
CBD and THC concentrations that match the product labeling, with a THC concentration below 0.3% by weight by law
Testing for pesticides, heavy metals, and other dangerous contaminants in the starting hemp or CBD extracts used to make the product, which should be absent or extremely minimal in safe products
Presence & concentration of other minor cannabinoids, particularly in CBD or hemp products marketed as “full spectrum”
Presence & concentration of terpenes - terpene testing is optional in most markets and may not be available, but it is crucial information when looking for reliable effects from full spectrum CBD products, so this is an added bonus to look for!
Frequent, repeated lab testing dates - some CBD companies will only show one outdated lab result for their products, which will not be accurate for every batch of product produced afterward. Look for current lab test dates and frequent re-testing of products to ensure accuracy in the results provided.