CBD products: Labeling accuracy of an obscure niche market

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increased availability of cannabis products in Europe, despite strict regulations. Numerous manufacturers of niche products promote cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabis sativa (C. sativa) as ingredients, often in ambiguous ways leading to consumer confusion. The aim of this study was to analyze a diverse range of foods, food supplements, health related products and other consumer products (e.g. vapes) associated with C. sativa/CBD in order to determine whether the declared and promised ingredients are present in the products and how these comply to current legal regulations. We have established a HPLC-UV method to quantify the most important cannabinoids, namely the legally important THC and THCA, and the CBD/CBDA. All of the 35 analyzed products met the legally required limit for THC/THCA. A total of 27 of the samples explicitly listed CBD contents. In 33% of the samples, the analyzed value matched the content given on the label, 26% exceeded the declared CBD content, while 41% contained lower amounts. CBD products with an unclear or not defined CBD content, were mostly below the limit of detection (LoD). Products promising “full spectrum C. sativa extracts” were further screened by GC-MS method to detect additional naturally-occurring cannabinoids, to verify the use of C. sativa plant material/extracts as the source of CBD. No further cannabinoids could be detected in one out of eight products claiming the use of C. sativa extracts.This study shows, that this niche market is still a constantly evolving product sector, depending on the type and origin of the products, there may be significant discrepancies between the marketing and the actual ingredients contained, making the market less transparent for consumers.