Why you should not use untested CBD Products

Dangerous Compounds: Pesticides, Heavy Metals, Etc.

"It is well known that cannabis plants obtained from uncontrolled sources may be contaminated with various harmful substances [39], sometimes leading to severe health issues or hospitalization [40]. Contaminants include chemicals that were intentionally added in order to increase yield, weight, or potency (e.g., pesticides, metal particles [41], synthetic cannabinoids [42]) but also agents that entered the plant unintentionally (e.g., heavy metals, molds and bacteria [43], aflatoxins). For example, pesticides are frequently present in cannabis sold by Dutch coffee shops [44], but were also found in cannabis offered under state law in California [45] as well as medicinal cannabis from licensed producers in Canada [46]. If any of these contaminants were present in hemp used for CBD extraction, they would likely end up in a concentrated form in the final oil. One contaminant specifically relevant to cannabis (CBD or THC) oils is the residual presence of toxic solvents used during the extraction procedure [3]."

Reference: https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/489287 (page 4 of pdf, "Identifying the Real Risks")

"Cannabidiol expression is typically limited to flowering buds and not stalk, fiber, or sterilized seeds; this is true of all cannabis varieties. Traditional hemp is an inefficient source of CBD, requiring many acres to be cultivated to produce significant amounts of CBD extract. Moreover, hemp is considered a “bioaccumulator” or “phytoremediator.” It absorbs heavy metals and other chemical waste from the soil [12]. Accordingly, if large quantities of hemp are being cultivated to produce CBD, it is critically important that the quality of the soil is closely monitored and regulated."

The seeds of industrial hemp plants have important uses in human nutrition. They are a good source of protein, and the seed oil is rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. The seed is used to make bread, cereals, and protein powder; the oil is used for margarine, salad dressing, cosmetics, and dietary supplements.

However, hemp seeds contain virtually no cannabinoids, which are in the flowers and (to a lesser extent) in the upper leaves [13]. Hemp seed oil is often used to dissolve the thick CBD extract (hence the term “CBD hemp oil”); however, as noted, olive oil, refined coconut oil, and other vehicles also can be used (hence the term “CBD oil”). In all cases, the CBD has been extracted from the flowering portion of the plant. If the entire plant is harvested, the CBD has been extracted from the total plant material, including the flowering portion.

Alice Mead, The legal status of cannabis (marijuana) and cannabidiol (CBD) under U.S. law, Epilepsy & Behavior, Volume 70, Part B, 2017, Pages 288-291, ISSN 1525-5050, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.11.021. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525505016305856)

Misleading Labels and Lost Potency

"Another interesting observation was the presence of high levels of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids in multiple samples. It is well known that CBD and THC are not produced as such by the metabolism of the cannabis plant. Instead, cannabinoids are excreted in the form of carboxylic acids such as CBD-acid and THC-acid [52]. The physiological effects of these “acidic” cannabinoids have been studied only to a very limited extent. Only after proper heating (e.g., during smoking, vaporizing, or baking with cannabis) are these natural precursors rapidly converted into the more well-known CBD and THC, respectively. This process is called decarboxylation [52]. Although decarboxylation also takes place during the production of cannabis oils (e.g., during the evaporation of solvents, or during a separate decarboxylation step as part of the production process), 7/46 samples (15%) contained >25% of its cannabinoid content in the form of acidic cannabinoids, indicating poor control over the decarboxylation process. To address the issue, some producers simply add up the content of CBD and CBD-acid in order to boast a higher “total CBD” content on the label, while advertising this as “raw CBD.”

Reference: https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/489287 (page 5 of pdf, "What Studies Tell Us")