Findings from a review of over 4,000 products show that transparency in the CBD industry remains a major issue.
The popularity of CBD continues to soar across the globe with growing clinical evidence suggesting that the cannabinoid carries a host of therapeutic benefits. In most markets, the supplement is poorly regulated as legislation struggles to keep up with the rapidly growing CBD industry.
As a result, more and more brands are entering the CBD space determined to seize their share of the lucrative industry which is expected to reach a global value of $47.22 billion by 2028.
The report – authored by CBD industry watchdog Leafreport – found that purity testing for microbes, pesticides and heavy metals is still conducted at very low rates across the CBD industry.
To complete its transparency analysis, Leafreport examined the purity and potency certificates of analysis (CoA) of 188 brands as advertised on their website for a total of 4,384 products. In the absence of standardised regulation for the CBD industry, CoA provides a level of quality and safety control.
In comparison with 2021, transparency within the CBD industry appears to be “stagnating and deteriorating” in several critical areas, the authors said.
While 99 per cent of brands undertook at least some third-party potency testing, the proportion of brands that test almost all of their products for potency and share third-party lab results has remained unchanged since last year, still sitting at 42 per cent. However, only 12 per cent of brands had all their products fall within acceptable potency variance levels.
Guy Rocourt, CEO of cannabis wellness brand Papa & Barkley, said potency testing plays a significant role in the safe and beneficial use of CBD.
“Without accurate potency tests, producers cannot accurately produce quality products, and consumers cannot accurately gauge the efficacy levels they need to meet their particular needs,” Rocourt said. “This is especially important in the CBD space, where consumers need to use products consistently overtime to get the most out of this plant-based medicine.”
Purity testing was markedly less common according to the report with just 7 per cent of brands testing all of their products for microbes, pesticides, and heavy metals, compared to 6 per cent in 2021. Worryingly, 20 per cent of brands carried out no purity testing at all.
Heavy metals, microbes and pesticides can all cause potentially harmful effects when consumed. Exposure to heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium has been linked to respiratory and organ problems, developmental problems, headaches and certain forms of cancer.
“Hemp makes incredible plant-based medicine, and it also happens to be a bio-accumulator,” Rocourt added. “This means it absorbs substances efficiently from the soil it’s planted in, which is a great benefit when the earth needs to be remediated from damage. However, it also means that it can unintentionally absorb materials you don’t want to consume such as heavy metals, which is why it’s so important to test products.”
10 brands came out on top in the review, including NuLeaf Naturals, R+R Medicinals, Root Wellness, Just Live CBD and Green Roads CBD, all of which tested 100 per cent of their products for potency, microbes, heavy metals and pesticides.
