We put an emphasis on third-party product testing at Apotheca. It isn’t just a marketing gimmick—it’s an essential part of ensuring every product in our store is exactly what it claims to be. Every CBD and hemp product we carry has been third-party tested by independent laboratories to confirm that they are made with natural hemp extract and don’t contain any dangerous chemicals.
It’s a sad fact that as the CBD industry takes off, scams will pop up as well. Fake CBD oil won’t just hurt your wallet, though. It can also have some serious health consequences.
What We Mean by “Fake CBD”
This is a broad label that applies to many different things. First, there are products that are labeled as hemp extract, but are actually made from hemp seed oil—an oil that is perfectly safe to consume, with about the same calories per tablespoon as olive oil—plus a fair amount of fatty and amino acids. However, any product marketed as CBD oil is most likely being sold at a much higher price per ounce, and if you’re using CBD for a specific effect, you won’t be getting it from hemp seed oil.
Secondly, there are products that contain no traces of any hemp plants, let alone CBD. These can be a bit more unpredictable. Some of these scam products amount to snake oil, with no discernable effects or impact on your health. Others, however, contain synthetic cannabinoids, which can be extremely dangerous.
Beware of Synthetic Cannabinoids
52 people in Utah were poisoned last year by a product labeled as CBD oil that actually contained synthetic cannabinoids (you can read the original CDC report here, or a summary from Gizmodo
