Knowing what CBD brand is safe and how to read lab results.
CBD has been helping many people around the world get relief. It seems like every media outlet, blog, and influencer has been backing this amazing natural substance more and more the last few years. So many brands in the last two years alone have started popping up and trending in the US and around the world.
CBD is legal IS legal in all 50 states, BUT, CBD is not FDA regulated yet. While there is a widespread acceptance of CBD and CBD products, lately, the trust and validity of CBD has been tainted for many consumers. We all know when something is very popular; people without the best intentions will try to capitalize on it. So much so, that many popular brands have been in trouble for misleading consumers by making false claims, using less than high quality ingredients, price gauging customers, counterfeiting, and even going as low as faking lab results.
Some CBD companies have broken the trust of consumers
In January of 2018, Remedy Review (independent observer for natural health), tested 29 CBD brands for ‘cannabinoid content, terpenes, heavy metals, pesticides, residual solvents, and microbiological contaminants’. These tests were conducted to make sure the claims on their labels were accurate and these companies were being transparent with their customers.
4 of the brands failed testing, and one of product recall was issued. Unfortunately, these tests found pesticides, bacteria, and inaccurate labeling in products. Some products claimed to be organic, yet contained pesticides.
Along the lines of not being honest, another study was done by NBC News NY, on a few popular brands as well this year. Some companies lied on labels claiming to have a certain amount of CBD and had alarming less, and some had NONE at all. This is very disheartening because many people are turning to CBD to find REAL relief…they end up getting a product with no CBD at all and it changes their perspective on CBD all together.
Other issues that have come about were counterfeit products. Some well-known and trusted brands have been cloned to appear real; these products were tested and were found to be extremely low quality or totally useless. Always make sure you are buying your CBD from a trusted source or contain a batch number so you know where your product is coming from.
How do you make sure your CBD is safe?
Every consumer has the right to understand and know about what they are putting into their bodies. As a consumer, you have the right to ask a CBD company for their lab results. If a company doesn’t openly disclose their results or gives you a hard time, it’s a sign that maybe you should look into a different brand. Industry experts recommend you make sure CBD-testing is done by a third party and includes results for heavy metals, pesticides and other toxins.
In an unregulated industry like CBD, it is ethically responsible for companies to be mindful of what they are giving people and go above and beyond to gain the trust of consumers. Many CBD companies (Like Hudson Valley CBD) includes batch numbers on every bottle as well.
How to read a CBD lab result:
Not a scientist? Neither are we, but don’t fret, reading CBD lab results are not too complicated and pretty straight forward if you know what you are looking for. For reference (and that transparency we love), we’ve added our own.
When reading a lab result the main things you are looking for are cannabinoid content profile, if the labs have it heavy metals and residual solvents results and terpenes profile. Our results here are for a final product, 1000mg CBD Tincture. This lab result lists that out of the single bottle tested in our batch you’ll be getting 25mg CBD in 1 ML Serving and trace amounts of the other cannabinoids including THC, CGB,CBC and CDBV. This is also a good place to look to ensure you are either purchasing a Full Spectrum product or Isolate product. If your label claims full spectrum (or broad spectrum) you should see other cannabinoids outside of CBD alone.
Hudson Valley CBD. A brand you can trust.
As we always state, its Hudson Valley CBD’s mission to be as transparent as possible. We have always been focused on education and awareness, and just want people to feel good. We take a tremendous amount of pride in making sure that our products are safe, and never want to mislead anyone that is part of our community.
We have seen our products help many people, but CBD may not work for everyone the same. We never claim our products are superior to others or want to put any other brand down. We also think it’s important for consumers to do their own research and go the path that is best for them.
Do you think CBD is right for you? Check out our awesome products and enjoy! Still need to know more? Check out our other blogs to learn about how CBD can help!
Sources:
https://www.remedyreview.com/news/seal-announcement/
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/CBD-Products-Tested-505762921.html