How Do You Know Your CBD Is Safe?

From seed and soil to the bottle on your nightstand, crea­ting a pure hemp product requires careful attention. Just like you, hemp requires the right amount of self-care to perform at its best. So, how do you know if that bottle of CBD sitting on your nightstand received proper care? This can be tricky.

THE CBD MOVEMENT BEGINS

After the legalization of hemp products under the 2018 Farm Bill, researchers gained more access than ever to study the hemp plant’s natural compounds — and CBD is at the forefront. With new health-benefits being discovered daily, a CBD movement has been born — a movement that is, sadly, bringing unsafe and subpar hemp products to all. Why? Many companies cut corners and don’t nurture the product’s life cycle from soil to store-front.

Unfortunately, the lack of proper care to the hemp plant throughout all its stages has given birth to a market saturated with inconsistent products. Products that vary not only in potency but also in levels of impurities. This inconsistency leaves you and your loved ones with the job of assessing if a product’s label actually matches what’s in the bottle — a difficult task when 70% of CBD products on the market today are inaccurately labeled.

RIGOROUS TESTING REVEALS CONTAMINANTS

One nationally-recognized nonprofit recently identified the need for true transparency within CBD product labeling. This organization is The Clean Label Project™ (CLP), which specializes in rigorous lab testing of packaged goods. CLP conducted purity testing on 242 CBD products.

Each product was tested for impurities and contaminants including lead, plastic and potency levels. The results are astounding. You can see them here.

1. LEAD COUNTS ARE HIGH

The top 10 brands averaged 34 parts per billion of lead. That's nearly 6X the FDA's "safe limit" of 5 parts per billion in drinking water.

2. PHTHALATES ARE PRESENT

The top 10 brands averaged 1,091 parts per billion of phthalates. Otherwise known as plasticizers, phthalates are a group of chemicals used in products to make them bend and flex. At 1,091 ppb found in CBD products, that is 3X the average amount found in consumer products. To offer some perspective, phthalates have been linked to being endocrine disruptors, even in small amounts. It should also be noted that the use of phthalates has been banned in the entire European Union since 2005 for this reason. Nine other countries, including Japan, Mexico and Argentina, have also outlawed the chemicals.

3. THC LEVELS ARE ON THE RISE

The 2018 Farm Bill asserts THC levels cannot exceed 0.3%. Yet, 100% of the products making THC-free claims contained some amounts of THC. This type of misleading labeling can and has resulted in failed drug tests, lost jobs and lawsuits.

4. CBD LEVELS ARE TERRIBLY INCONSISTENT

Of the 242 products tested, more than 75% were o­ level by at least 10% of the CBD value they listed on the label. One product contained an extra 700% of CBD and 10 products contained no CBD at all.

At Tribe we take very seriously the quality of CBD products we carry and before we offer it to you, we make sure each brand has met stringent testing guidelines. As health and wellness professionals, we will never sell a product that we wouldn’t use in, or on, ourselves. We know how challenging it can be to find a truly quality product and that is why we are here, doing the work so you don’t have to. and you put into and onto their bodies.

And thank you to our friends at Pachamama, winner of the Clean Label Project Purity Award.