Natural Awakenings
Until consistent manufacturing and testing standards are established, it is up to the consumer to do their due diligence. The best way to confirm label accuracy is to ask for a certificate of analysis (COA). This document reveals what’s really in the product and it should come from an accredited third-party laboratory.
PLANT MEDICINE
SECTION pages 32-40
Certificate of Analysis
What’s Really in the Bottle
The Importance of CBD Lab Reports and How to Read Them by Meredith Montgomery
A
ccording to a 2019 survey by Consumer Reports, more than a quarter of the U.S. population has tried CBD and one out of seven of those people say they use it daily. The CBD industry is often described as the Wild Wild West because despite CBD’s ubiquity, very little product regulation is in place.
A 2017 study published in JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association examined label accuracy of 84 CBD products sold online and found that nearly 70 percent had either higher or lower concentrations of ingredients than indicated on the label, and the THC content of some products could produce intoxication or impairment.
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“It’s a guarantee that you not only get what you pay for, but that nothing detrimental to your health is in a product,” says Jeff Sheldon, owner of The Health Hut in Mobile and Daphne, Alabama. “A COA proves to you that the amount of phytocannabinoid matches what is claimed by the manufacturer and can also let a consumer know if there are pesticide residues, chemical solvents, toxins, heavy metals or pathogens in a product.” COAs can be found on a manufacturer’s website and often in the retail store where the product is being sold. First, look at the company performing the test and ensure that it is different from the manufacturer. “These lab tests are a vital part of transparency between both the source and retailer, as well as between the retailer and the customer. Third-party tests are high priority because they eliminate bias and tampering,” says Jennifer Boozer, owner of CannaBama in Mobile, Alabama.
Potency and Date
The most basic lab test examines potency of the product’s CBD and other major cannabinoids. Sheldon says, “Check that the amount of CBD and THC matches what the product claims and ensure that the THC content is below 0.3 percent, otherwise the product is illegal. If the manufacturer claims zero THC, you will see ‘ND’ for not detected.” Ed Morgan, owner of Stella Naturals in Gulf Shores, Alabama, recommends looking at the date the test was done. “CBD only has a shelf life of just over a year and much less after opened. Many times you will see a test that is over a year old or 10 months old. You do not want to buy an old product that is expired or close to it.”
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