CBD oil test for pesticides and THC; Could you fail a screening test?

SAN ANTONIO – CBD oil, also known as cannabinoid oil, is derived from substances secreted by the hemp plant. As of January 1, 2019, it has become legal to sell CBD oil with THC, but this proportion must be less than or equal to 3%.

CBD oil is in demand, considered the panacea for common ailments like pain, inflammation and anxiety.

"Well, that dampens the effects," said Todd Hargroder, a CBD oil user. "I mean, for me it helps with nerve pain."

At the age of 52, Hargroder spent more than half of his life in a wheelchair as a result of a motorcycle accident in 1986.

"I jumped," Hargroder said. "I went over the bars and this resulted in a C56 spinal cord injury."

Sitting 12 hours a day, his body wears out, causing lower back pain and nerve pain in the arms and legs.

Four years ago, he switched from traditional painkiller to CBD oil, but he worries about the lack of supervision in a booming industry.

"I think for the average man, there is a lot of uncertainty as to what is pure," Hargroder said.

Pesticides, residual solvents and heavy metals are all contaminants that Caleb King, a researcher at Steep Hill Laboratory, has discovered in various laboratory tests in recent years.

We bought five brands of CBD dye oil of the same concentration, 250 milligrams per bottle, and shipped them to Steep Hill Lab in Berkeley, California.

One by one, they were tested for activity, pesticides, THC and the number of cannabinoids.

Only 2 of the 5 products tested were labeled exactly as follows: Alamo Botanicals, from the Hemplucid brand and their hometown.

The widely used brand KOI contained neither THC nor pesticides, as advertised, but its efficacy was insufficient (195 mg instead of 250 mg).

In response, KOI wrote: "For power analysis in particular, our lab collects a sample size ten times greater than the industry standard, making it a more representative sample Without knowing the analytical methods, protocols, standards and instruments used, it is difficult to determine where and why variation occurred.

Remedy, the local mark of Botanical Shoppe in white mark, tested as such; 250 mg without THC and no pesticide, but it should be noted that it was labeled "full spectrum" on the bottle.

Despite this, the results of our tests revealed that only one cannabinoid other than CBD.

"As a consumer, I would like there to be more cannabinoids," King said. "They are talking about full spectrum, I would like to see small amounts of CBD, CBDA, the acid forms that I have mentioned and, in addition, I would like to see CBN."

In response, The Botanical Shoppe, which produces Remedy, said it did not have a lab report, contrary to Steephill Lab's report, but plans to begin testing in April.

The company has also decided to remove the "full spectrum" formulation in future oil lots.

The last sample tested by News 4, Veritas Farms, contained a minimum quantity of 2 different pesticides, but was still considered satisfactory, according to California State regulations.

Veritas Farms oil also gave positive results for the presence of THC traces (0.01%), even though the company's certificate of analysis indicated that there should be no THC .

The bottle says nothing about THC, but about the full spectrum.

An official at Veritas Farms said labeling, full spectrum, involved the inclusion of THC, although the definition of the full spectrum is not consistent within the sector.

The bottle says nothing about THC, but it says "full spectrum".

"Some people might not want to ingest even a small amount of psychoactive substances," King said. "Some people are very sensitive to THC and can cause unwanted reactions."

Although it is legal to ingest small amounts of THC, this could cause you trouble at work.

King explained that even minimal amounts of THC could appear during a drug test and that many factors were involved, such as elapsed time and the type of sample, that it it acts of urine, blood or hair.

This is one of the reasons why it is important to test CBD oil products before they are consumed.

There have been recalls of CBD due to pesticides and defective laboratory practices over the last year, but not with the News 4 brands tested.

Counterfeit and synthetic products are also a concern.

"The synthetic cannabinoids have much more potent effects and dosage effects than ordinary cannabinoids such as THC," King said.

He also recommends to request the analysis certificate or batch lab report for any bottle purchased.

All the brands we tested ranged from $ 40 to $ 50 per 30 ml bottle.

*** KOI sent this statement in response to the results of our test:

Understanding the accuracy and validity of test results is important for the proper process of quality control of manufactured cannabis. Due to the federal ban on cannabis, cannabis-specific regulations and lack of standardization among analytical methods, differences in laboratory test results are a daily challenge for product manufacturers. It is important for manufacturers to associate with fully accredited and state-approved testing laboratories.

Our laboratory is fully ISO / IEC accredited by Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation, Inc. This third-party accreditation body operates beyond the scope of cannabis, accrediting laboratories ranging from pharmaceuticals to food safety. We are accredited for all California State Test Tests:

Analysis of cannabinoid potency,

– interposed analysis

Residual solvents

-Pesticides

-Mycotoxines

-heavy metals

Foreign materials

Content of moisture

-Water activity

In addition to the standards dictated by our ISO / IEC Perry Johnson accreditation, our standards come from the American Pharmacopoeia and Bureau of Cannabis Control. In accordance with BCC regulations, we participate in proficiency testing for all third-party tests (Emerald Scientific's Emerald test). We have Emerald badges for every test to ensure the accuracy and precision of our results.

For the analysis of specific activity, our laboratory collects a sample size 10 times higher than the norm of the California industry, making it a more representative sample. When we collect samples for testing, we do so incrementally based on the size of the finishing lot, resulting in a more representative sample.

Without knowing the analytical methodologies, protocols, standards and instruments used, it is difficult to determine where and why the variation occurred.

*** REMEDY, Botanical Shoppe sent this statement in response to our findings:

We can understand the possible confusion on the full spectrum and / or the broad spectrum. On our THC-free line, with THC (0.3%), we are changing the labeling on the label based on the likelihood of confusion, even though the full spectrum label has been approved by our extractor. Thank you for the constructive criticism as we strive to be the most transparent and reliable source of the CBD.

With CBD stores and retailers setting up in the city, we are grateful to News 4 for having decided to conduct tests and conduct investigative journalism. At present, the industry as a whole is an unregulated wild west.

CBD is sold at gas stations, vape stores, major stores and other retail outlets as a complementary product to their current operations, without the requisite diligence of sales outlets for products and / or services. # 39; education. The Botanical Shoppe is proud of the third-party certification of all of its CBD Consultants to ensure proper information to our valued customers. In addition, the Botanical Shoppe was the first to provide lab reports published online and in stores. We attach great importance to transparency and feedback to ensure the best possible experience for our customers. However, the Botanical Shoppe is still trying to improve the process so that experts in the fast-growing sector can continue to go. For example, our tests performed by third parties are consistent with your conclusions. However, there are 400 cannabinoids in food grade hemp (not industrial hemp) and both tests only cover 12 cannabinoids. Starting in April, our new independent laboratory, with its exclusive testing process, will begin testing all the cannabinoids of our food grade hemp strain, REMEDY. We are delighted to be the first company in Texas to offer extensive testing and will be providing testing to News 4 upon receipt.

*** A VERITAS FARMS official explained that the COA (analysis certificate) indicated 0% on this specific lot of CBD oil, which is unusual because there is usually THC in all their CBD oils.

He does not say THC on the bottle, but he says, full spectrum.

The company also added that all its oils are full spectrum, which means that they include a variety of cannabinoids, including THC.

They explained that the Colorado laboratory differs slightly from the California laboratory in terms of detection limits, which could explain why a lab result indicates 0% THC and the other, 0.01%. THC.

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