How CBD Third-Party Testing Works and Why It’s Important
At UrthLeaf, we have 3 main principles which guide us every day: quality, transparency, and authenticity. We think that it is our job to provide quality, pure, and safe CBD oil to our clients. That means we’ll go to great lengths of CBD testing to make sure that our product is of the highest-quality standard.
The fast growth of the CBD field has saturated the market with low-quality, cheap product that is sourced overseas or from biomass centers sourcing from multitudes of farms. Most brands are slapping a “high-quality” label on a cheap, and occasionally unsafe, product. Additionally, specific CBD products have decreased CBD content than advertised. As consumers, we understood that there had to be a better method of shopping hemp-based products which ensure short- and long-range safety. One method of doing this at UrthLeaf, is by sending our CBD oil to a lab in which they test for pesticides, terpene content, heavy metals, solvents, microbial contamination and much more. It’s referred to as third-party CBD testing.
Third-party testing: What is it and why do we have to have it?
Third-party testing is when a private party that isn’t affiliated with the distributor or manufacturer conducts a scientific product analysis. With a lack of federal regulation, there isn’t a standardized process for testing cannabidiol.
CBD Third-party testing offers an unbiased, neutral information source. It’ll benefit the consumer because it is the most transparent technique. With independent testing, the company cannot publish inaccurate information or change in-house results.
If you purchase CBD oil on the internet, or if you ever have conducted any general browsing for CBD oil products, you likely have encountered the expression “3rd party testing.” However, what does that mean, exactly? Are CBD oil manufacturers required to have their items tested before they’re able to distribute and market them?
As it turns out, not exactly. However, that does not mean that businesses still do not have the incentive to do it.
In this post, we discuss what 3rd party testing is. Also, we talk about how reliable it is to separate high-quality cannabis items from items of questionable quality. Of course, we also will cover some things you as a purchaser should be on the lookout for, and what the entire process of testing means for you as the consumer.
Independent 3rd Party Testing: What is it?
The objective behind independent 3rd party lab testing includes having an unbiased, neutral source assess an organization’s cannabis products. It’s vital within today’s market, because the non-regulated cannabis state virtually enables manufacturers to place labels on their items then sell and market them however they want. (In case you weren’t aware, there currently are very few Food and Drug Administration regulations on the industry of CBD).
But, in terms of the federal regulation of the cannabis industry it has always been a little bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, the majority of manufacturers do not want the government getting involved in profits and revenue. In addition, they do not want somebody telling them what they can and can’t distribute, market, sell, etc.
On the flip side, high-quality manufacturers understand that an industry that has no regulations and rules rapidly becomes overrun. False advertising, scams, and out-and-out lies quickly will take their place within the market. Naturally, it makes it difficult for consumers to make a wise purchasing decision or receive reliable, quality information.
Thankfully, that’s where the beauty of transparency enters. Similar to the way that cream rises to the top of a macchiato, honest businesses that offer quality products hopefully will always overcome their competitors and rise to the top. It is what third-party testing achieves. Businesses which are manufacturing quality, good products aren’t frightened of having an outside source check it for them.
Does the Food and Drug Administration Not Regulate the CBD Sector, whatsoever?
Truthfully, this is sort of a hazy topic. Here’s the bottom line: no, the FDA doesn’t maintain any oversight or regulation into this industry.
With that being said, among the inherent purposes of the Food and Drug Administration includes making sure the public isn’t exposed to questionable or dangerous health products. That includes natural medicine such as cannabis. It currently is illegal for CBD to be referred to as a “dietary supplement.” The FDA, past that, still is in the process of creating a regulatory framework for the cannabis and CBD industries.
If 3rd Party Testing Is Not Mandatory, Why Do Businesses Do it?
Analytical lab equipment like HPLC’s aren’t cheap. Nor is the expertise and labor which comes with understanding how to use them. Taking that into account, why do CBD businesses spend thousands of dollars willingly to obtain a “3rd-party tested” label?
It all boils down to transparency. With cannabis products (especially CBD oil) becoming increasingly popular by the day, it is becoming more and more critical for businesses to establish a reputable and reliable name in the industry. Folks understand what high-quality CBD oil is able to do in terms of anxiety, chronic pain relief, as well as insomnia relief, depression relief, etc. Therefore, they certainly aren’t going to spend their hard-earned funds on an expensive brand that isn’t even transparent enough to have their items lab tested.
In short, it’s within a CBD organization’s best interest to have their items 3rd-party tested despite the high cost. Nowadays, the average consumer is able to tell fairly rapidly whether a brand is legit. Also, they’re able to tell whether an organization is selling something short of what is being advertised. As they witness that “3rd-party” label, they understand that they are dealing with the former instead of the latter.
What about Terpene and Cannabinoid Profiles?
One other reason that businesses spend funds on lab testing is to obtain terpene and cannabinoid profiles for every one of their strains. If you ever have visited a marijuana dispensary, you probably have seen terpene or cannabinoid profiles. In the majority of instances, cannabinoid profiles are noticeable on the outside of the bottle for fast reference –at least they ought to be if it is a high-quality dispensary.
For instance, you may purchase a Sour Diesel strain which contains a cannabinoid profile of 22 percent THC and 1 percent CBD. Or you may purchase a full-spectrum CBD oil which contains 28 percent CBD and 2 percent THC. Without 3rd party testing, consumers would have no way of knowing what is in the product they are purchasing.
With an increasing amount of information coming out all of the time about specific cannabis profiles being better for certain medical conditions (like high CBD strains for relief of anxiety), it is all the more critical that sellers accurately check what is in every particular strain.
Third-Party Lab Testing for CBD Products
The last thing you should be spending your money on is a CBD product which does not have any CBD. Given the present unregulated state of the industry, it’s an easy error to make.
Therefore, it is becoming more and more important as a customer to search for edibles, oils, and additional CBD products which have been laboratory tested by an outside, unbiased source. Shop smartly, search for reputable, reliable brands that have excellent consumer feedback, and you should never underestimate the importance of 3rd-party quality tested CBD products.