Cure-All cannabidiol? The cannabidiol content of commercial products

Abstract

Background: The recent easing of regulations around the world regarding Cannabis sativa and its main active compounds, such as cannabidiol (CBD), led to an explosion in the number of over-the-counter consumer products. The number of product types is surpassed by the vast quantity of products of each type, but even this is exceeded by the associated health claims which range from the benign, such as 'fighting inflammation', to the completely asinine such as 'fighting the tyranny of the urgent' or 'shedding light on your inner darkness'. Any health claim should in the first instance be supported by the product containing the correct actives at the correct dosage. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test a diverse range of commercially available product types including soft drinks, honey, coffee, oils, gummy bears, chocolate, etc. that claim to contain CBD and compare the results to their label claims. Study design: Forty commercially available products were extracted and quantitatively analyzed. Methods: Extraction efficiency for all product types was conducted over a 1 h period using acetonitrile and ultrasonication. Samples were taken every five min and analyzed using a validated HPLC method. All products were then extracted in triplicate using the applicable extraction time and quantitatively analyzed. Results: Fifteen min of sonication was found to be adequate for the oils and drinks samples. The honey, chocolate and gummies samples required initial dissolution in water followed by extraction with acetonitrile. The remaining products required sonication of 45 min. It was found that only three products (7.5 %) contained CBD levels within 90-110 % of their label claim. Two products had trace amounts of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and some of the products were completely devoid of CBD. Conclusion: Mislabeling is of serious concern and this study shows that the problem not only includes problems with the content of CBD, but also regarding the chemical properties such as containing "water-soluble CBD" while it is insoluble in water, and the diverse number of health claims that in some cases have no foundation in reality. This highlights not only the lax attitude of producers but also of the regulatory authorities in ensuring the consistent quality of these products.