CBD Quality: How Do I Know I am Getting the Best CBD Product?

CBD seems to be sold everywhere, from your mall kiosk, grocery store, online retailer, and even gas stations. With so much CBD products on the market, it’s hard to find out which CBD options are certified efficiently for quality and made from clean natural hemp. Yet with the recent vape illness scare, some consumers might wonder what process CBD companies and stores might undergo for their products to be assured safe for consumers. To ensure our CBD products high- grade quality and purity, Go Green Botanicals uses a detailed proprietary vetting process to guarantee each of our CBD products are derived from natural hemp with no additives, preservatives, and GMO’s. 

A Brief History of CBD  

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is a natural cannabinoid in hemp that has medicinal benefits for possibly helping relieve pain, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and more. For the longest time, CBD was listed as a schedule 1 drug by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and products were stigmatized as being derived from marijuana. Although since it’s boom CBD has been decriminalized with 2018’s Farm Bill Act and more products have been distributed openly around the country, creating an influx of CBD products on the market.   

Unfortunately, since the FDA hasn’t classified CBD as a dietary supplement or pharmaceutical drug, this excludes CBD products to be reviewed for efficacy and safety by the FDA. This has created a market estimating around 70% of CBD products currently available for online purchasing to be mislabeled or unsafe to consume. From the year 2015 to 2016, the FDA has sent warning letters to 25 companies for mislabeling and distributing unsafe CBD products.  Recently in November 2019, the FDA has sent a warning to 15 companies for having traces of metals and pesticides in their products.

Looking for Unwanted Microbial Organisms 

In the United States, there are three essential steps reputable CBD companies and distributers conduct on new CBD products before they enter the market. The first step is to ensure that none of the cannabis-derived products contain any unwanted microbial organisms or fungi. If ingested, unsafe microbial organisms can cause infection and other forms of illnesses. Some of the concerning organisms to look out for when harvesting cannabis and other similar products can include Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Escherischia coli, etc. 

To find traces of these microbial organisms in a CBD product, companies use various indicator test to discover these toxins. These indicator tests might include total aerobic plate counts for bacterial populations and mold/yeast counts to detect fungi.  

Conducting Heavy Metal Analysis

In agricultural products, it’s common for traces of heavy metal like lead, arsenic, and mercury to be found in a wide range of products if not tested for heavy metals. Depending on the plant’s origin and possible strain, some CBD and hemp-derived products might have been contaminated with these metals during manufacturing. 

To test for heavy metals in CBD and cannabis-derived products, these products have to undergo various forms of spectrometry. One of these tests called the atomic absorption spectrometry process uses heat to find micro-particles of metallic atoms in any substance.       

CBD Pesticide Testing

Last year Colorado passed a state law requiring all hemp-derived products to be tested for pesticide and chemicals. The most common method for companies to ensure their CBD product’s quality is to use flash chromatography. This purification system has been used to remove and detect harmful traces of pesticides in chemical and pharmaceutical drugs. 

How do I know My CBD Product Has Been Properly Vetted?

Research is always essential when finding the best quality CBD products. Always ask for third party lab readings to see if your CBD product has been vetted through the proper tests and analysis including information on CBD pesticide testing. In third party lab tests, each product can also contain information about its cannabinoid profile assessment to ensure the amount of CBD listed on the packaging is what you’re getting with your product.  

When in doubt ask questions about where your CBD product is manufactured, CBD pesticide testing and their customer reviews on their quality assurance. Usually, low-grade CBD products are two to three times cheaper than an average CBD product, some might not even contain CBD at all. 

Luckily our certified consultants at Go Green Botanicals are here to answer any questions you might have about our products to bring clean high-grade CBD to our store. Voted best in San Antonio and New Braunfels, Go Green Botanicals appreciates its essential feedback we get from our customers about their experience with CBD. With essential customer reviews and feedback, our certified consultants at Go Green Botanicals can help you find the best products for you and your loved ones with the reassurance of our CBD product’s purity and quality.