Update on the study methodology
The study was carried out by a team of researchers from Loughborough University and Bridge Farm Nurseries Ltd. It involved 63 CBD products from 40 different brands, purchased from various online stores and physical points of sale in the United Kingdom. The products analyzed included 13 aqueous tinctures, 29 CBD oils, 10 CBD e-liquids and 11 drinks containing different legal cannabinoids.
CBD concentrations were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for tinctures, oils and e-liquids, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-mass spectrometry). MS) for drinks.
The study reveals significant differences in CBD concentrations
The results revealed that actual concentrations of CBD were often much lower than those indicated on product labels. The average differences observed were:
- -25.7 ± 17.3 mg/mL for aqueous tinctures;
- -6.1 ± 7.8 mg/mL for oils;
- -6.9 ± 4.6 mg/mL for e-liquids;
- -0.03 ± 0.06 mg/mL for beverages.
In comparison, oils showed a lower deviation (-19.0 ± 14.5%) compared to e-liquids (-29.2 ± 10.2%), aqueous tinctures (-51.4 ± 41.4%) and drinks (-65.6 ± 36.5%).
Among the 63 products analyzed, only 5 (around 8%) had CBD concentrations close to those advertised, with a variation of less than 10%. CBD oils were the most compliant products, with 17% of oils (5 out of 29) meeting this tolerance.
On the other hand, none of the e-liquids or drinks displayed a CBD concentration close to the values indicated on the labels. These results suggest that CBD oils are either manufactured with stricter quality standards or that the CBD in the oils is more stable than in other types of products.
What implications for CBD consumers?
Significant discrepancies between advertised and actual CBD concentrations pose challenges for consumers who rely on label information to make informed decisions.
The study authors call for improved quality standards for CBD products and recommend clearer legislative guidance on acceptable tolerance limits for deviations in CBD concentrations.
