CBD products in UK were found to have high THC levels

Excessively high THC levels

In a study by PhytoVista and Centre for Medical Cannabis of the UK, it’s been reported that over half of the 30 products containing CBD in Europe were tested to have THC levels that are two times more than the accepted limit which is 0.2%. The article was just published this month.

The study reports 45% of the products that contained THC had about 0.4% mean content of THC. Tested products were those that are being sold online and in stores.

Solvents found in CBD products

Apart from the excessive levels of THC found in the products, the research has also found that only around 38% of the tested products actually contained the actual CBD content advertised. Moreover, also 38% of the products contained less than 50% of the amount of the CBD that they claim to have. This is very disappointing especially to those who highly rely on the CBD content of these products.

Surprisingly, a sample of a 30ml product obtained from a shop contained 0% CBD. The said product retailed for £90. Even one product contained higher levels of ethanol than the recommended amount which is 3.4% which in the UK, is the level of ethanol in alcoholic beverages. Moreover, seven of the products tested were even found to contain the solvent dichloromethane of around 3-13 ppm. Cyclohexane, also a solvent, was found in a product at a level of 27.9 ppm.

Although the levels of solvent contained in these products are within the limits recommended, they still exceed the levels recommended for food safety. CMC stated that the results of the study should serve as a guide for the CBD industry in coming up with products that abide by the standards and are high-quality products that abide by the standards. Furthermore, CMC also encourages producers to make use of these findings to make necessary steps to assure that this will not happen again.

RPS wants clear guidelines on THC products

These data gave a push to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) of the UK to request the government for specific guidelines with regards to tetrahydrocannabinol or THC levels in products like CBD oils.

In the letter to the Home Secretary, the RPS said that they were willing to come up and give advice with regards to specific steps they should make so that no one would break the law with regards to products containing CBD. Pharmacists also demanded guidance with regards to the legality of CBD product handling. They also called out on the out-dated laws concerning CBD.

They also add that in the UK, it is legal to sell CBD just as long as they don’t include any medical claims in their marketing. Furthermore, the limit of THC is only up to 0.2%.