Although CBD is one of the most popular supplements in the market today, products containing the hemp-derived compound are still not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Despite this lack of oversight, the CBD industry has continued to thrive in recent years. Unfortunately, however, upon investigation by a team from NBC 6 Miami, it has been uncovered that the lack of regulatory oversight might be having severe consequences on the quality of products across the industry.
Product Testing and Results
The NBC 6 investigative team led by Dan Krauth purchased products from 7 popular CBD brands and took them to Evio Labs, an accredited testing facility in Davie, Florida that tests for more than 400 companies worldwide including Green Roads. While Green Roads was one of the seven brands tested in this special report, the company was not directly involved in the investigative process.
Prior to testing, all CBD product samples were covered with white labels to prevent identification of brands and any possible bias. Five products from each brand were tested to verify their CBD content. The NBC 6 team then took the lab results and compared them to the advertised content on each product’s label. The results were nothing short of alarming.
Lab results from Evio labs showed that most brands put to the test contained significantly lower amounts of CBD than what was printed on their labels. One brand of CBD gummies tested for zero percent CBD, despite claims they are the “strongest” CBD gummies.
“Patients are being duped,” said Chris Martinez, President of Evio Labs. “They’re buying products that really aren’t going to benefit them.”
Out of the seven brands tested, the only one to come out on top was Green Roads. Results showed the content in Green Roads products matched what was printed on the labels.
How to Choose the Best CBD Products
According to NBC’s Dan Krauth, “Experts recommend when buying a CBD product, check to see if the company does testing and ask for current test results.”
Krauth also recommends looking for products with lab test barcodes on their labels. “It’s a code you can scan with your cell phone that will take you to the test results for the product you’re buying to see the levels of CBD inside,” says Krauth in the special report.
According to the NBC 6 report, if a product doesn’t have a barcode, consumers should still look for other ways to verify product quality such as batch numbers on the label, so it can be tracked to where and when it was made. “Most companies should have test results on their website that can be matched to that batch number and product,” explains Krauth.
Lack of Regulation
Even though hemp is strictly regulated by federal and state agencies, production and commerce of hemp-derived CBD is currently not overseen by any government entity. Agencies like the FDA can only go as far as warning CBD companies against making any health claims. Due to the lack of regulations, self-policing has been the standard in the CBD industry. In layman’s terms, this means a CBD company can print whatever they want on their labels as long as they are not making unsubstantiated health claims. As a result, it is ultimately up to consumers to do their research and determine if a CBD brand is reliable or not.
Green Roads Stays Compliant
At Green Roads, we are deeply committed to providing consumers with the highest-quality CBD products in the industry. Our CBD products are formulated by licensed pharmacists and made with industrial hemp grown in the United States. Furthermore, each batch of our products is tested by an independent lab to ensure that the contents match what is on our labels. Lab results are continually being updated on our website and are available to anyone visiting the site. Consumers can also access lab test results by scanning the barcode on each Green Roads CBD product.
For the full NBC 6 investigative report and videos, click here.
