CBD Products: Is what’s on the label really what you get?

PITTSBURGH — From gummy candies to pet supplements, capsules and tinctures that’s absorbed under your tongue, CBD is a booming business but it isn’t regulated. So how do you know you’re getting what you pay for?

CBD products come in different forms and dosages and are available at specialty shop and even some gas stations. Everyone has a different reason for using the products.

“I have knee pains, aches pains,” said CBD user, Tom Weeden. “I found a lot of relief in difference CBD products.”

If you’ve got a consumer issue that you’d like Angie to investigate, contact her at amoreschi@wpxi.com.

Companies aren’t required to test their product to ensure potency levels are as advertised. 11 Investigates wanted to know what is in CBD products sold in our area.

We bought 15 products from four different stores and sent them to ACT Laboratories, one of the labs approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for CBD testing. The tests were done at the company’s Michigan lab and the manager of the Westmoreland County Lab, Andrew Heinle, went over the results with us.

“Most of the products were tested true to label claim are quite accurate,” said Heinle.

From CBD peach rings, to CBD oil and even CBD pet food, all of the products we tested met the level of CBD advertised on the packaging.

Heinle said he was surprised by the results.

“As we’ve seen it over the past few years when a lot of these stories are done, whether by a new station or a magazine that a lot of these products weren’t testing accurately to their label claim whether they’re high or low, so it seems like you’ve got your hands on good products,” Heinle said.

Kathy Romero owns “Your CBD Store” in Bellevue. She said she knows her products make the grade, but she’s happy others passed the test.

“The truth is if theirs was bad and somebody went down there and tried that and it didn’t work,” said Romero. “They might not ever try it again.”

Another tip that Heinle suggest is to look for products that come from an accredited lab.

“I would recommend always asking for a C of A (certificate of analysis) whenever you buy products or a certificate of analysis to ensure that product was tested and even dive deeper to see who tested the product and see if it was an accredited lab,” Heinle said.

You can see the full interview with Heinle below!

The Food and Drug Administration states on its website, “There are many unanswered questions about the science, safety, and quality of products containing CBD.” It goes on to say the agency “is working on answering these questions through ongoing efforts including feedback from a recent FDA hearing and information and data gathering.”

The FDA said it’s only seen limited date about CBD safety and more research needs to be done. So far, the FDA has approved only one CBD product, a prescription drug to treat severe forms of epilepsy.

RAW: Lab manager talks about CBD products Lab manager talks about CBD products

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