Earlier this year, the BBC’s long-running health show, ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’, included a fascinating feature on the popular cannabis extract CBD.
The second episode of series nine analysed some big high street brands in the process, and Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim asked whether what you are buying is really worth the money that you’re spending.
Big CBD Brands and the High Street Heist
If you regularly use CBD products to support a healthy lifestyle, then you'll know that you're not alone in doing so. The past few years have seen a sharp surge in CBD sales with a plethora of different products manufactured by a multitude of brands, all seeking a slice of the potential sales arising from public demand. But what is really in your CBD products and how do you know that what you’re getting is what has been advertised to you?
In the episode, Dr. Abdelmoneim handpicks a swathe of CBD products to take to Prague for testing in a laboratory setting. In what is thought to be the first test of its kind, the team endeavour to find out whether products contained the amount of CBD they said they did.
CBD is typically extracted from industrial hemp, which has a high concentration of CBD and little THC. This is okay as long as the final CBD product contains a maximum of 0.2% THC. Recreational cannabis, on the other hand, has lots of THC and just a little bit of CBD, hence why hemp is the preferred and logical source for brands and manufacturers. Nevertheless, due to the trace amounts of THC that can be found in hemp, the laboratory tested the selected products for the contents of both cannabinoids.
How Much CBD is Actually in Products?
Scarily, several products contained much less CBD than that advertised, and in one case, contained no CBD at all. Celtic Wind said advertised 500mg of CBD per 10ml bottle, yet when batch tested, the results revealed that it contained a meagre 0.00075% of CBD. Jacob Hoy’s 2.75% CBD only had 1.7% of CBD, while the 5% Hemp Drops CBD bottle yielded just 2.9%. Worrying to say the least.
But what about the contents of THC? The maximum limit that the European Food Safety Authority says is acceptable is 1 microgram per kg of body weight, which is about 70 micrograms for the average adult, Perhaps more concerning than the low levels of CBD in the tested products, are the high levels of THC.
Where THC is known for its psychoactive effects, the cannabinoid-like CBD is also claimed to possess some therapeutic qualities. Mentioned by Dr Abdelmoneim in the episode, the claim that CBD has these therapeutic qualities may be the reason people are using CBD in their masses. But it is important to remember that the kind of CBD products you might buy online or on the high street are not licensed as medicines, but as food products, which are ultimately subject to food safety legislation. This means that these products don’t undergo the same tests on safety, quality and efficacy like medicines do and should not be used for treating any illnesses.
CannabiGold contained nearly 50 times the limit of THC and fellow big brand Love Hemp contained 20 times the maximum amount allowed. To put that into context, if you were regularly using those products and decided to travel abroad, you could find yourself in hot water if authorities discovered that CBD product on your person and subsequently drug tested you.
Since CBD products are classified as a food product, the lack of meaningful regulation and standardized testing, unfortunately, means that finding a reputable supplier to keep your health in check can prove tricky.
Click Here to Watch the Episode
Fortunately, you are in one of the few places that take its CBD contents seriously.
Buying CBD with Confidence
Here at VSAVI, we strive to provide you with the very best CBD products that enable you to support your wellbeing and the healthy lifestyle you lead. We get our CBD independently tested in a clean laboratory to ensure that what we say on our packaging regarding the contents of CBD is correct. These kinds of tests provide companies like us with a certificate of analysis, which shows us our data in black and white, while also ensuring that our customers are truly satisfied with their purchases.
From full spectrum CBD oil, to CBD e-liquid to vape, to a select range of skincare products created in collaboration with beauty brand MIKKA, feel free to browse our online store and find what best suits you.