CBD is everywhere you look nowadays, and that may include your local gas station. It may even seem worth it to spend the $15 on a bottle of CBD oil just to try it. After all, it is cheaper than spending $40+ at an actual CBD store. But while you may be saving some money, you are definitely not getting your money's worth.
According to a study conducted by CBD Project Awareness, "On average, gas station products delivered 40% of the CBD they advertised. All gas station products had less CBD than their labels advertised, including three CBD-infused drinks with no CBD detected."
This is a concerning statistic for both consumers and industry professionals. Any legitimate hemp company is dedicated to maintaining a quality product, and fly-by-night companies that push cheap and mislabeled products drag the industry down.
But how do you spot an illegitimate CBD product?
Labeling
Legitimate CBD products will include nutritional and ingredient information to remain compliant with federal standards. Fly-by-night companies may include some information but leave other parts out. They may also have different information on their packaging and labels as well. Compliant companies will ensure their labeling is uniform.
Contact Information
Companies with quality products take pride in their work and want to answer consumer's questions. Finding contact information should be simple to locate. Phone numbers, emails, and QR codes are the most popular forms of contact companies provide consumers.
COAs
A COA is a certificate of analysis. It provides proof that the product is compliant. Most legitimate companies will provide the COAs for their products directly on their website. Some companies will even provide a QR code directly on their packaging that will take the consumer directly to the COA (and this trend is quickly becoming more popular). Businesses selling CBD products bought from a wholesaler should keep a current COA on file for any products they carry.
Outlandish Claims
As discussed in a previous article, some companies make outlandish claims about their products. Extremely high CBD content (sold for impossibly low prices) and miracle cures (illegal to do) are two of the most popular claims illegitimate companies use.
With more mature regulations, illegitimate companies are beginning to fall off. While hemp is still in its wild west phase, consumers should look to companies that are transparent about their products and practices. But for now, this industry professional would advise consumers to avoid buying their CBD from a gas station.