Report: CBD Content on Labels Differs From Levels Found in Actual Products

More than half of 29 hemp tea and coffee products that underwent recent analysis showed that in the U.S. CBD levels varied widely from what was stated on the label, a study has found. Israel-based Leafreport, a CBD reviewer, reportedly found products that were off by anywhere from 11.5% to 62% from the labeled CBD content.

Leafreport sent 29 CBD tea and coffee products to SC Labs, in Santa Cruz, California. Lab technicians there tested the products and recorded the results in documents called certificates of analysis (CoAs).

Leafreport compared the level of CBD shown on the CoAs to the advertised amount and looked at what other cannabinoids were detected by the tests, especially if the manufacturer claimed to use broad-spectrum or full-spectrum hemp extract.

The study found that out of 14 teas and coffees advertised as containing broad or full-spectrum hemp extract, 11 (79%) were “accurately” labeled while only three contained CBD, reported Hemptoday.

Key Findings

• Out of 14 teas and coffees that were advertised to contain broad or full-spectrum hemp extract, 11 (79%) were accurate and 3 only carried CBD;,
• 14 (48%) of the tested products had CBD levels within 10% of the label, which is required for an A rating;
• A little over half (52%) of the tested tea and coffee products had inaccurate CBD levels. They were off from the labeled CBD content by anywhere from 11.5% to 62%;
• The most common rating was an A, (48%) given to products that were within 10% of the advertised CBD amount.

“We also found that consistency remains a major issue. For example, when we tested two different products from the same brand, one always performed better than the other.” noted the report.

Consumer Packaged Goods Companies Are Waiting For The FDA To Approve CBD 

The global CBD market has reached a multi-billion dollar value in just a few years. Grand View Research, a leading market research and consulting company, projects the market will expand from 2021 to 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.2%. Many attribute the unbelievable growth and popularity of CBD to its health benefits.

Even though the Farm Bill legalized the cultivation of hemp, it did not legalize CBD and it still requires those who grow hemp to be licensed. With CBD still in a gray area legally, many consumer packaged goods companies have been unable to enter the market.

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) equated CBD in full-spectrum hemp supplements with concentrated CBD, such as that contained in Epidiolex, the only FDA-approved cannabis-based drug used for the treatment of seizures.

By doing so, the FDA is suggesting such CBD supplements should be available only by prescription.

Established food and beverage manufacturers such as, Coca-Cola KO and Anheuser-Busch Inbev BUD are looking at producing CBD products, and early this year, Molson Coors Beverage Co. TAP and Hexo Corp. HEXO rolled out a line of nonalcoholic CBD-infused sparkling water in the United States.

On May 19, 2021, Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act of 2021, which generally provides a legal pathway for certain hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products. "Despite widespread growth and ubiquitous consumption, CBD remains largely unregulated on a federal level at this time", reported The National Law Review.