Are CBD Customers Really Getting What They Pay For?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is an ingredient found in cannabis plants. It doesn't give the user a high, but it's being marketed to relieve all kinds of ailments.

CBD seems to be everywhere. It can be found in all kinds of everyday products, from lotions to supplements, as well as dog food. CBD, or cannabidiol, is found in cannabis plants. It doesn't give the user a high, but it's being marketed to relieve all kinds of ailments.  

The CBD products sold often indicate on the label how much of the chemical is contained inside. The products can list anywhere from a few milligrams to a few hundred. Inside Edition wondered if customers are actually getting the amount of the chemical they're paying for.

To find out, we bought some products and sent them off to a lab for testing. We purchased CBD from all types of retailers, including upscale stores and products sold online. The results were surprising, as lab tests found three of the nine products we purchased contained less CBD than was advertised.

CBD gummies purchased at Barneys claimed to contain 10 mg. However, the lab found just 6-7 mg in the edible.  When we told the distributor, Lab to Beauty, the company insisted the amount was correct and supplied an independent lab test to back it up.  The company also says although they've had no customer complaints, they will do additional testing to further ensure their product's accuracy.  Barneys had no comment.  

The label for a CBD lotion at a store called Hemp Garden in New York City says it has 500 mg of CBD in each bottle. But our lab found one bottle had just 64 mg.  

Inside Edition's Chief Investigative Correspondent Lisa Guerrero asked the owner of Hemp Garden, “How do you explain that you guys were selling something that doesn't have the amount of CBD that it says?”

The owner replied, “At this moment in time, I can't comment on that. Although I can say that those products have been pulled from the shelf and there was a manufacturing issue and we are on top of that. Thank you so much.  Have a good day."

We also had a lab test a CBD product sold by Slade Smiley and Gretchen Rossi of "The Real Housewives of Orange County." The label on the product stated it had 560 mg of CBD and curcumin, an herbal supplement.  But the lab tests showed the product only had about 1 mg of CBD.

Guerrero asked the reality stars about the discrepancy. “If it says this on the label why aren't you giving consumers that same amount?”

“That is correct, because that is the amount in the bottle,” Slade said. 

According to expert, Damien Gadomski, PhD, from IEH Labs, the product contained hardly any CBD.    
 
Slade said the actual amount of CBD in the product “should be about 2%.”

“We didn't even find that, we found much less,” Guerrero stated.  
 
“If this label is misleading in anyway, I want to make sure that we change it,” Gretchen replied. 

The label for that product has since been changed.

 

RELATED STORIES