Leafreport finds largely inconsistent melatonin levels in CBD products positioned for sleep support

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A recent study from Leafreport found that CBD product marketed for sleep may not contain the amount of CBD, CBN, or melatonin advertised on the packaging. The study testing 52 products and results showed that 60% of these products were mislabeled. This means the levels of CBD, CBN, and melatonin were different from their labeled strengths by more than 10%. This can mean the product has either too little or too much relative to what the label says.

Just over half of the products containing CBD had inaccurate CBD levels while almost half of the products containing CBN had inaccurate CBN levels. Of the 32 products stating they contain broad or full spectrum CBD, 25% were mislabeled. Leafreport graded the accuracy of products on an A through F scale. While 60% of the products were not consistent with their labels, 75% of the products received either an A or B. Twenty-one (40%) products tested got an A, meaning they were within 10% of their label claims. Eighteen (35%) got a B, meaning they were within 20% of their label claims. Eight products (15%) got a C, meaning they were within 30% of label claims, while five (10%) got an F, meaning they differed from label claims by greater than 30%.

The products tested were composed of 30 gummies, 10 oils, 10 capsules, one syrup, and one pill product. Capsules were among the most accurate products tested, with 50% receiving an A, compared to 40% of gummies and 30% of tinctures receiving an A. The most inaccurate ingredient was melatonin. Of the 24 products that contained it, 16 (66.6%) had melatonin levels that differed from their labels by greater than 10%. One of these products had no melatonin at all, while two others contained 3-5 times more than advertised.

Interestingly, products were more likely to contain accurate amounts of CBN than CBD. The report authors speculate that this may be because CBN is usually added separately, making it easier for manufacturers to control the precise amount.

While many of these products were not accurately labeled, most of the products did not differ from their label claims by more than 20%, which exceeded the expectation of the report’s authors. The full report broken down by brand can be viewed here.