Tips for Spotting a Fake CBD Product in 2023

As you must know by now, the CBD market is really booming. Financial forecasters predict that the market will be worth billions within the next few years, and so it makes sense that we’re seeing a new crop of CBD brands popping up almost every week. As a result, the CBD market is extremely competitive, with a large number of companies trying to win the hearts of CBD enthusiasts with their unique hemp products.

But, as is the case with any relatively new and highly successful market, there are also a lot of companies that are cutting corners in an effort to profit off of the trend. Therefore, consumers must be extremely careful when purchasing their CBD products. If a person is trying to find bliss with cannabidiol, only high-quality, highly legitimate products will do. So, we will be talking about how to avoid getting scammed by a CBD product.

Do Fake CBD Products Exist?

Yes, fake CBD products exist. When we say “fake”, we’re referring to products that contain barely any CBD as well as products that contain absolutely no cannabidiol. Now, you may be wondering how companies can get away with this. The thing is that cannabidiol, as we said earlier, is still considered by many to be a new industry. Meaning, the FDA hasn’t completely regulated the ways in which CBD can be marketed, packaged and sold. This gives companies a lot of room to get away with selling cheap, low-quality products that are marketed as beneficial CBD.

Essentially, any company can put “CBD” on their label regardless of what’s inside the formula, and not worry too much about serious repercussions.

Spotting a Fake CBD Product: Tips That Will Help

So, how does someone avoid purchasing a fake CBD product? Good question. We have created a list of tips for those times when you’re considering making a CBD purchase.

Tip #1: If the Price Seems Too Good to Be True…

First, you have to take the price into account. In order to produce concentrated hemp extract, an incredibly high volume of hemp plant material has to be used. This means that the fairly high price of CBD is pretty much inevitable. If a CBD product seems to be extremely low in price, you have to ask yourself whether it actually contains a good amount of CBD and other plant compounds, or if it’s watered down so much that it won’t actually provide any real effects.

Tip #2: Take into Account Where the Item is Being Sold

Is it a legitimate retailer that has a strong reputation for selling quality products? Or, is it a kiosk at a fair where counterfeit products are sold? You have to remember that a lot of retailers who don’t specialize in CBD may be selling products without knowing themselves that they’re not legit. So, always make an effort to purchase your CBD from a trusted, reputable source, and you should be fine.

Tip #3: Become a CBD Expert

CBD is a fascinating cannabinoid, and hemp is an incredibly interesting plant. Fully studying and researching CBD and hemp can give you a lot of information that you can apply when the time comes to purchase a product. The more you know about CBD, the easier it will be to detect when something about a product just doesn’t seem right. So, make an effort to learn as much about CBD and other hemp compounds as possible.

Tip #4: Check Out Reviews Before Purchasing

Remember that it’s very easy these days to find reviews on a product before purchasing it. When you encounter a CBD product that may be a fake, try looking it up online to see if other people are talking about it. If someone had a bad experience with it or didn’t experience any effects at all, it’s best to avoid this product, as well as this brand, altogether.

Tip #5: Look Up a Company’s Website and Search for Lab Results

Because CBD is so unregulated, a lot of companies are choosing to demonstrate the legitimacy of their products by posting third-party lab results on their website. Basically, these lab results confirm that the product is legitimate, pure, potent and high in quality. If you come across a CBD product that you suspect may be a fake, simply look up the company’s website and look for these lab results. If they’re nowhere to be found, you may want to stay away.

Tip #6: Read the Label

You may be able to find evidence that a CBD product is fake simply by looking at the label. By law, CBD products must contain a list of ingredients. Look at these ingredients in order to figure out what’s in the formula. If CBD or hemp extract are all the way at the bottom of the list of ingredients, you know that there’s not nearly enough in there to actually do anything, and that the product is therefore a fake.

Tip #7: Smell the Product

Hemp, as we know, has a very potent and distinctive smell. If you aren’t getting that hemp smell that you know so well, it’s very doubtful that the product contains enough of it to deliver results. Also, if the product smells rancid, there’s a good chance that it’s a low-quality product in general. Now, remember that different concentrations of CBD will have different potencies of aroma, but even lower concentrations will give you that unique smell of cannabis right away.

Don’t Get Fooled into Buying a Fake/Counterfeit CBD Product

Again, CBD is such a popular industry to the point now, that some companies out there are selling fake CBD products in an effort to make a lot of money off of hemp enthusiasts. Fortunately, fake CBD products are relatively easy to detect. Just use this guide to ensure that you don’t get scammed while attempting to purchase a new CBD-infused product to add to your daily regimen.