Does Planet Organic Offer High-quality CBD Products?
Lester Garbicz, a 72-year engineer at Specialty Tires, was immediately fired when his drug test turned out to be positive for tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, a mind-altering cannabinoid identified in the cannabis plant. Mr Garbicz wondered how this substance made its way into his system because he has never taken any illegal, banned substances. An old man just consumed the CBD oil to relieve his arthritis and glaucoma, but it was claimed to be totally safe! When the CBD oil used by Lester was tested, it was found that it contained THC. The main question is how to buy a reliable product and save your health and career?
One of the analytical chemistry laboratories, Ellipse Analytics, tested 250+ CBD products that are popular among the population. It was revealed that almost half of these CBD products (45%) were mislabelled. Dr Sean Callan, a representative of Ellipse Analytics, stated that 12% of tested samples contained tetrahydrocannabinol in spite of the fact that they were claimed to be THC-free.
The researchers also asked CBD users where they buy cannabidiol-based products. According to their results, there are two groups of CBD purchasers: those who prefer spending money on well-known and popular brands and those who buy low-cost products, just believing the label and not trying to study the content in more detail. The study demonstrates that 54% of consumers have used CBD oils, capsules or tinctures for less than one year and didn’t have any particular brand preference yet. So, they were trying various CBD products made by different manufacturers. A total of 32% of consumers go to the grocery stores to buy CBD goods.
At the present time, a growing CBD industry is unregulated and suffering from mislabeled cannabidiol-infused products. JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, published research carried out by the experts from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine three years ago. The specialists took CBD products purchased online and tested them to verify whether their contents correspond to their label. It was found that more than two-thirds of these samples did not contain the exact amount of cannabidiol specified on their labels. The researchers revealed that there was no CBD at all or inaccurate amounts (more or less) than it was claimed by the manufacturers. Moreover, tetrahydrocannabinol was found in some supposedly “THC-free” products!
The conclusions of the scientists from Maryland and Pennsylvania were confirmed by Michael Felberbaum, a spokesperson of the US Food and Drug Administration. He also said that the agency had actively tested CBD products for the last three years, and the results were deplorable, too. The content of many samples and their labels significantly differed from each other.
All these cases have increased our interest in this issue and raised several questions. What is cannabidiol? Why are CBD-based products so popular nowadays? Why do manufacturers deceive customers by putting them at risk to lose their jobs and health? Where can customers buy reliable and safe CBD products? How can CBD users, especially newcomers, distinguish a high-quality CBD oil from a fake? In this article, we are going to conduct our own investigation and answer all these questions.
CBD: Friend Or Foe?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a chemical compound found in the hemp plant. Scientists and doctors from all over the world discover and test the therapeutic properties of CBD. People consider cannabidiol as a natural alternative to medicines with harsh side effects as the World Health Organization (WHO) reported earlier that this cannabinoid is safe and well-tolerated in humans and animals. It can be effective in treating chronic pain, stress, anxiety, depression, inflammation and a wide range of other conditions.
Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli organic chemist, was the first scientist who extracted CBD from the plant and described its structure in the early 1960s. However, there was not much attention or interest among the scientific community and general public, which was ridiculous. Only 20 years later Mr Mechoulam managed to publish a paper demonstrating that cannabidiol can provide a very effective antiepileptic treatment. Long story short — nothing happened for the next 30 years until some parents revealed that CBD helped their children suffering from pediatric epilepsy. Since then, clinical trials were conducted, and an antiepileptic drug, Epidiolex, was developed and approved.
Scientists began to thoroughly study this powerful compound and found that CBD could be used to treat and relieve numerous ailments, such as autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation), neurological conditions (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury), metabolic syndrome (obesity, diabetes), neuropsychiatric illness (alcoholism, ADHD, PTSD), gut disorders (Crohn’s, colitis), cardiovascular dysfunction (arrhythmia, atherosclerosis) and skin diseases (acne, psoriasis, dermatitis) when applied topically. CBD started its victorious march on the planet.
Currently, you can find products containing CBD everywhere and in any form. It’s not a problem to visit a café and start your morning with a cup of cannabidiol-infused coffee or smoothie. Manufacturers bring a wide range of CBD oils, e-liquids, pills, tinctures, gummies and other products to the market. Grand View Research, a US consulting and market research company, found that the global CBD industry totalled $4.6 billion in 2018 and is projected to amount to $23.6 billion by 2025.
Manufacturers Are In Chase Of A Holy Cow
If there were a few CBD manufacturers in the market before the cannabidiol boom, then their number jumped — who doesn’t want to become a participant of this multi-billion dollar industry and get their hands on some fortune? Like every rapidly growing market, the CBD branch attracts not only reputable producers that are ready to provide customers with potent and pure goods but also dishonest companies whose aim is just to earn as much money as possible. These grey businesses are not going to spend their time and funds to buy certified raw materials and test their products for purity at third-party labs. If you want to improve your health and save your job, you should find a reliable CBD brand offering safe and high-grade products.
The High Yield Insights team asked 2,000 CBD users where they buy cannabidiol-enriched goods. According to the study results, people purchase CBD oils and other types of products online and in brick-and-mortar stores. 31% of the surveyed participants order the required products on the brand websites, 31% of the respondents go to the cannabis dispensaries, 24% of CBD consumers prefer the online shops, and 21% look for the required CBD creams and oils in the natural food stores. By the way, people now have more options to acquire their favourite products containing cannabidiol and try new ones because large retailers also drew their attention to this promising market.
The US citizens have already an opportunity to purchase CBD oils, topicals, and edibles in the major chains, such as GNC Holdings, Urban Outfitters, CVS, Ulta Beauty, Sprout, Kroger and Walgreen. The European retailers also don’t want to keep out of the trend: CBD products have appeared on the shelves of the retail giants. The Cannabis Trade Association estimated the European CBD market value at around £480 million, including about £110 million worth of share occupied by the United Kingdom. Any British resident can enter the store belonging to Holland & Barrett, John Bell & Croydon, or Planet Organic and buy cannabidiol-enriched products there.
Planet Organic, one of the UK largest supermarket chains, sells organic foods to the population and promotes health among their customers. The retailer provides the public with a wide range of gluten-free and dairy-free products, health supplements, raw foods, organic fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, as well as other natural and nutrient-enriched food. In 2016, Planet Organic decided to put CBD products to their list of commodities.
Buying Director at Planet Organic, Al Overton, named cannabidiol a ‘Holy cow’ of recent years. He said that previously people bought up quinoa and then switched to manuka honey and goji berries. Today, CBD hits the charts. Buyers usually ask for CBD oils, supplements, snacks and skincare and haircare products. The demand for these items and their sales grow at a very quick rate. Mr Overton also noted that men show less interest in CBD-infused goods than women. CBD oils and capsules are the most popular items of the supplement section at Planet Organic. The retailer’s turnover rose by 8% and is equivalent to £35.1 million as of August 31, 2019. The sales of herbs category grew by 50% at the expense of CBD products.
We have studied the Planet Organic’s online shop and found 38 CBD brands there: BetterYou; Blockhead; Buddha Teas; BumbleZest; Daye; Disciple; Drink 420; Elixinol; Good Hemp; Inari Health; INTUNE; Kanabia; KIKI Health; Kloris CBD; Lifeline; Lovechock; MEDA; Minami; Mr Prempy’s; Natures Plus; Nooro; Now Alchemy; OSI Magnesium; OTO CBD; Planet Organic; Purearth; SODADA Kombucha; Themptation; ThreeDots; Together Health; TRIP; Unrooted; Vita Coco; Wunder Workshop; You&Oil; YourZooki; Zen CBD; and ZenCBD.
The number of represented brands has increased since the last time when we visited the website. This means that the retailer continues working with CBD distributors and adding new products to its stores. Furthermore, Planet Organic even sells CBD brownies under its own brand! We could not find the information about the source of origin of CBD contained in this product, whether it is full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or pure CBD. We don’t see any Certificates of Analysis, either.
Searching For Reliable CBD Manufacturers
A Certificate of Analysis is a document issued by an independent lab to ensure that the product meets all the specifications and doesn’t contain any harmful substances like pesticides, residual solvents, and other contaminants. Any reliable manufacturer sends its products to third-party labs for testing. This measure allows CBD brands to prove their good faith and reliability. If you want, you can call the Certificate of Analysis a mark of quality.
Third-party testing requires large investments, and not all brands are ready to spend their money on this important procedure. And what is more, some companies don’t want to spend money on high-grade raw materials by providing substandard products. That’s why it’s extremely important that vendors research CBD brands and their goods to ensure their buyers are receiving cannabidiol-based oils, edibles, and tinctures that are tested for purity and potency.
The Centre for Medicinal Cannabis checked 30 CBD products and revealed that almost all of them were mislabeled and contaminated. When looking for a CBD product provider, retailers should see that the business makes products in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines. Products should be tested by third-party labs, and the brand should provide test results to retailers and customers. With the rapidly growing CBD market, retailers should choose companies that are committed to quality and that understand the medical benefits their products provide.
Many CBD brands don’t want to get involved in GMP certification because it takes a lot of time and funds. Nevertheless, the authorities may require GMP compliance in the near future, which means that retailers will be able to continue the cooperation with GMP-certified companies. Finally, responsible brands that have expertise in this field will be able to train a retailer’s personnel on how to answer customers’ questions regarding CBD products, their health benefits, and potential uses. Being able to satisfy customers’ curiosity will help retailers attract more customers and increase sales, while CBD users will have a chance to buy and consume high-grade products not posing a hazard to their health.
If you still don’t know how to choose a trusted CBD brand, what COAs look like, or have any questions regarding CBD products, please refer to our research and articles on Alphagreen Academy and Medium blog.
Verified by a Healthcare Professional
Anastasiia Myronenko
Anastasiia Myronenko is a Medical Physicist actively practicing in one of the leading cancer centers in Kyiv, Ukraine. She received her master’s degree in Medical Physics at Karazin Kharkiv National University and completed Biological Physics internship at GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, Germany. Anastasiia Myronenko specializes in radiation therapy and is a fellow of Ukrainian Association of Medical Physicists.
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