New report details prevalence of third-party testing among CBD brands

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In a recent study, Leaf Report reviewed 2946 products from 136 CBD brands to determine the level of purity and potency-testing in the CBD market. Among the main takeaways from the report is that 25% of brands reviewed did not carry out any purity testing at all, and only 42% of brands test almost all of their products for potency and share third-party lab results with consumers. Only 13% of brands tested all their products for purity (ie. Microbial content, pesticides, or heavy metals).

Additionally, 84% of potency-tested products did not measure within the acceptable variance of up to 10%. Interestingly, brands that have seven or less products were more likely to test most of their products for potency and purity compared to brands with over 40 products.

While there is still some work to do in the industry, the majority of brands reviewed by Leaf Report do in fact test for purity and potency. Leaf Report observes that the competition in the CBD market is driving companies to prove their integrity through third-party testing, offering consumers assurances with respect to quality, safety, and cannabinoid content. However, too frequently, the gap between advertised potency and the potency measured and reported by third-party testing is too great.