Table 1. Labeling Accuracy of CBD Stratified by Product Type and Purchase Location.
| Labeling accuracy and amounts of CBD | Retail store products (n = 45) | Online products (n = 60) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lotion (n = 7) | Cream (n = 15) | Balm (n = 9) | Salve (n = 3) | Patch (n = 1) | Other (n = 10)a | Total | Lotion (n = 8) | Cream (n = 17) | Balm (n = 7) | Salve (n = 9) | Patch (n = 10) | Other (n = 9)a | Total | |
| Labeling accuracy, No. of productsb | ||||||||||||||
| Underlabeled | 4 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 26 |
| Overlabeled | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| Accurately labeled | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
| Label total amount of CBD, mg | ||||||||||||||
| Mean (SD) | 238 (173) | 276 (196) | 231 (141) | 425 (106) | NA | 181 (123) | 246 (163) | 504 (452) | 553 (599) | 421 (343) | 486 (483) | 63 (68) | 260 (215) | 389 (448) |
| Median (range) | 200 (100 to 600) | 250 (80 to 750) | 215 (45 to 400) | 425 (350 to 500) | NA | 200 (50 to 400) | 220 (45 to 750) | 300 (30 to 1250) | 500 (20 to 2500) | 250 (100 to 1000) | 500 (125 to 1500) | 50 (10 to 240) | 150 (50 to 600) | 250 (10 to 2500) |
| Actual total amount of CBD, mg | ||||||||||||||
| Mean (SD) | 352 (240) | 272 (170) | 254 (197) | 493 (73) | NA | 225 (147) | 285 (187) | 539 (513) | 613 (724) | 586 (520) | 542 (558) | 42 (33) | 366 (388) | 450 (549) |
| Median (range) | 233 (168 to 791) | 306 (50 to 537) | 162 (63 to 574) | 493 (441 to 544) | NA | 281 (54 to 456) | 283 (50 to 791) | 340 (23 to 1424) | 500 (6 to 2820) | 276 (125 to 1440) | 533 (24 to 1667) | 36 (0.5 to 97) | 167 (56 to 1106) | 198 (0.5 to 2820) |
| Deviation between labeled and actual CBD total amount, % | ||||||||||||||
| Mean (SD) | 50 (25) | 9 (51) | 13 (40) | 22 (48) | NA | 23 (17) | 22 (39) | 19 (61) | 4 (46) | 30 (30) | 2 (39) | –16 (42) | 27 (44) | 8 (45) |
| Median (range) | 54 (16 to 93) | 22 (–75 to 82) | 14 (–73 to 64) | 22 (–12 to 56) | NA | 16 (8 to 56) | 21 (–75 to 93) | 42 (–92 to 80) | 13 (–93 to 70) | 25 (–1 to 88) | 8 (–80 to 45) | –3 (–96 to 31) | 12 (–5 to 121) | 10 (–96 to 121) |
Abbreviations: CBD, cannabidiol; NA, not applicable.
a
Other includes roll-on products, gels, oils, and serums intended for topical application.
b
Of the 105 products tested, 89 had a CBD total amount (in milligrams) on the label; the remaining 16 products did not contain a specific CBD amount on the label (eg, products were often labeled “x mg of full-spectrum hemp extract”).