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About ConsumerLab.com


HOW PRODUCTS WERE EVALUATED:

How Products Were Selected:

Products were selected to represent those commonly available nationally in the U.S. ConsumerLab.com purchased products on the open market through retail stores, on-line retailers, or direct sales companies. Products were not accepted directly from manufacturers.

Testing Methods:

Products containing hemp oil and extract were analyzed in one or more independent laboratories for the following:
  1. Quantification of cannabidiol (CBD), THC and analogs shown in the table below and representing total cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids), by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) using state certified methodologies (State of California and State of Colorado).

    CBD, THC and analogs quantified as total cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids).
    Analyte Abbreviation
    Cannabichromene CBC
    Cannabidiol CBD
    Cannabidiolic Acid CBDa
    Cannabidivarin CBDV
    Cannabigerol CBG
    Cannabigerolic Acid CBGa
    Cannabinol CBN
    Cannabichromenic Acid CBCa
    Cannabicyclol CBL
    Cannabidivarinic Acid CBVa
    Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Δ9-THC
    Δ8-Tetrahydrocannabinol Δ8-THC
    Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid THCa
    Tetrahydrocannabivarin THCV

  2. Quantification of 39 terpenoid compounds** utilizing gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID).
  3. Quantitative analysis of lead, cadmium, arsneic and mercury by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS) for products claiming to contain whole herbs or 250 mg or more of minerals per daily serving.
  4. Disintegration of tablets (excluding chewable, sublingual and time-release formulations) was performed using United States Pharmacopeia (USP) <2040> methodology for the disintegration of dietary supplements.

Testing was performed by one or more independent laboratories. Any product that did not initially pass (as defined below) was sent to another independent laboratory to repeat testing on the criteria on which it did not pass.

ConsumerLab.com may modify or use other appropriate test methods if necessary to test special product formulations.

Identities of the products were not disclosed to laboratories performing the tests.

Passing Score:*

To be "Approved" by Consumerlab.com, a product had to meet the following requirements:
  1. CBD: Passing theConsumerlab.com quality criteria included the following: CBD: Products claiming cannabidiol (CBD, as defined to include 87.7% of CBDa) and/or other cannabinoids must contain a minimum of 100% of the claimed amount(s) and 1) no more than 135% of the claimed amount(s) in a daily serving providing up to and including 2 mg of CBD and 2) no more than 125% of the claimed amount(s) in a daily serving providing more than 2 mg of CBD. Non pet products having no label claim must contain at least 5 mg of CBD per suggested daily oral serving and at least 1 mg per suggested single topical application.
  2. Δ9-THC: The amount of THC (as defined to include 87% of THCa) found must not exceed 5.5% of the amount of CBD found, e.g., no more than 0.55 mg of THC per 10 mg of CBD. (Limit based on THC/CBD ratios calculated from limits in state laws permitting CBD for medical use. The ratio varies by state from about 2% to 18%.)
  3. Products claiming terpenoid compounds must contain a minimum of 100% of the claimed amount and not more than 135%.
  4. Heavy Metals: Products claiming to contain whole herbs or 250 mg or more of minerals per daily serving must not exceed the following limits:
    Lead:
    • Products marketed for use by children may not exceed the State of California's Prop 65 limits for lead in dietary supplements of 0.5 mcg per recommended daily serving with an additional allowance of 0.8 mcg if the product contains more than 1,000 mg/day of calcium.
    • Products with a single serving weights of less than 5 grams which are not marketed for use by children, may not exceed the State of California's Prop 65 limits for lead in dietary supplements of 0.5 mcg per recommended daily serving (based on the state of California's Prop 65 limit for lead in dietary supplements, above which a warning is required regarding reproductive harm, birth defects, or cancer risks) with an additional allowance of 0.4 mcg if containing 250-999 mg/day of elemental calcium, magnesium and potassium, 0.8 mcg if containing 1,000 mg/day of any combination of these minerals. An additional 0.5 mcg is provided if containing 250-999 mg/day of whole herb (not extract) ingredient or 1.0 mcg if containing 1000 mg/day or more of whole herb (not extract). However, total lead allowance will not exceed 2 mcg. per daily serving.
    • Products with single serving weights of 5 grams or more which are not marketed for children may not exceed 2.5 mcg per serving nor 4.0 mcg per daily serving.
    Cadmium:
    • If marketed for use by children, may not exceed 3.0 micrograms of cadmium per recommended daily serving (based on Canada's limit for a child weighing 75 lbs.). If not marketed for use by children, may not exceed 4.1 micrograms of cadmium per recommended daily serving (above which California's Prop 65 law requires a "reproductive harm" warning due to developmental toxicity and male reproductive harm).
    Arsenic:
    • Contain less than 10 micrograms of total arsenic per daily serving (EPA limit and state of New Jersey limits - based on 1 liter of water). Products found to exceed this amount were tested for inorganic arsenic and must not contain more than 2.1 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per daily serving (Canada's limit in natural health products).
    Mercury:
    • May not exceed 2 micrograms of mercury per daily serving (based on EPA limit for mercury in 1 liter of water).
  5. If applicable to the product, must meet recommended USP <2040> parameters for disintegration of dietary supplements (excluding capsule, chewable, sublingual and time-release products).
  6. Must be in compliance with FDA labeling requirements for dietary supplements notwithstanding the fact that CBD products are currently not considered dietary supplements by the FDA.
* Passing scores allow for specific margins of technical error associated with each analysis. ConsumerLab.com reserves the right to disqualify a product at any time from passing if it considers such product to display unacceptable variation in quality, present a safety risk or to provide misleading or inaccurate information in its labeling.

**Terpenoid Compounds Quantified
β-Caryophyllene
Eucalyptol
Limonene
α-Humulene
Camphor
Terpineol
p-Cymene
α-Bisabolol
Nerolidol
Caryophyllene Oxide
Δ3-Carene
Guaiol
α-Terpinene
α-Pinene
Terpinolene
Sabinene
γ-Terpinene
Linalool
Camphene
Myrcene
β-Pinene
Borneol
Valencene
α-Phellandrene
β-Ocimene
Sabinene Hydrate
Fenchone
Fenchol
Isopulegol
Isoborneol
Menthol
Nerol
Citronellol
Pulegone
Geraniol
Geranyl Acetate
α-Cedrene
trans-β-Farnesene
Cedrol

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