Due to a lack of regulations from the Food and Drug Administration, fake CBD companies are taking advantage of customers in real need for the benefits of CBD. Even though CBD is LEGAL, an unregulated market is making life difficult for CBD consumers looking for quality hemp products.
Why? Because scam retailers take advantage of a lack of consumer knowledge and the regulatory grey area caused by the FDA enables scammers to sell oil products to unsuspecting customers. These products could potentially be harmful and cause unwanted effects, so it's important to know what you are getting when it comes to CBD. Here are some things to look out for before buying any CBD product.
High CBD Dosages
If a CBD label says the product contains “3,000 mg” or even 12,000 mg or 30,000 mg — absolutely outrageous amounts compared to reputable CBD brands that rarely exceed 2,000 mg per one-ounce bottle. Most honest CBD companies offer products that are 300 to 1,500 mg per bottle.
Is your CBD/Hemp organically grown in the USA?
The 2018 US Farm Bill made American-grown hemp legal in all 50 states. With that comes regulation regarding the growing and cultivation of hemp, that can help ensure the hemp that is being extracted for your CBD product, is clean and safe for consumption.
It is also best to buy organically grown hemp, which adheres to the same standards as all other organic produce.
Clear Bottles vs Amber
Any CBD company that puts its CBD oil in a clear bottle should not be trusted. CBD is light sensitive and can break down when exposed to ultraviolet light.7 Any educated CBD manufacturer knows that CBD oil must be packaged in dark amber bottles to prevent UV deterioration and maintain potency.
Therefore, any brand that puts their cannabis products in a clear bottle is more concerned with package design than the effectiveness of their CBD products. Avoid clear CBD oils or CBD products bottled in clear glass, it is indicative of a low quality product.
Fake CBD on Amazon
Another easy short-hand tip to remember is this: DO NOT BUY CBD on Amazon. Amazon is filled with scam retailers selling fake CBD. Here’s why:
Amazon does not allow anything labeled “CBD” on its marketplace. But, Amazon does allow hemp products. To take advantage of the Amazon ban on CBD, untrustworthy companies create fake hemp extract products that play within these Amazon rules.
Third-Party Lab Tests
All reputable CBD Cannabidiol companies conduct rigorous third-party lab tests. Many CBD oil companies only test for CBD content and THC content to ensure compliance to federal limits and state laws. That simple test neglects your safety by not testing for potential contamination with third party verification.
No matter the reason someone is taking hemp derived CBD products, it’s critical that their product remain free of harmful substances.
A lab test report, or certificate of analysis (COA) for any CBD brand should show results for cannabinoids potency, as well as safety tests for pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, bacteria, mold, and fungus. Make sure your CBD brand conducts third-party testing of their hemp derived products.
QR Codes Are a Must
The next step is the QR code. A QR code is the new UPC-type square code that your smartphone can read. With an iPhone, you don’t even need a special app. Just point your camera at the QR code, and it will automatically load a webpage linked to that code.
In the case of CBD oil companies, this allows consumers to check lab reports of CBD products, simply by scanning the QR code with their smartphone. QR codes are easy to produce. CBD oil companies that don’t offer QR codes might be trying to hide something. Some CBD companies only test for THC potency to assure compliance to federal law. They don’t test for heavy metals, solvents, pesticides or other contaminants.
USDA Certified Organic
The unfortunate truth is that despite the fact that there are many genuine CBD brands out there trying to do the right thing, there’s many more fake CBD brands just trying to rip people off with low quality or altogether fake products.
The only sure-fire way to know for sure that your CBD product is free of contamination is by looking for the USDA certified organic seal. This seal guarantees that every product bearing it is free of any contamination.