With the U.S. Food & Drug Administration avoiding the regulation of CBD-hemp products, the role of independent, third-party laboratories in verifying the content of those products is especially important. Consumers will want to have confidence in a CBD product before purchasing and using it.

In any relatively new industry, providers must overcome consumer doubt. To do so, reputable makers of CBD products use a third-party laboratory to conduct chemical analyses to verify that their products contain what the manufacturer claims they contain. That independent verification is meant to bring confidence in the product to the mind of the consumer.

But any analysis of CBD products – or any health and wellness substance, for that matter – is only as reputable as the laboratory that examines it. A sampling of several laboratory websites reveals that many post a mission statement, a code of ethics, whistleblower policy and other safeguards meant to underscore the lab’s reliability. Transparency is essential.

The lab’s work is what is used to create a certificate of analysis (COA). The certificate itself details the examination of the product for which it is issued and that it has undergone specific tests that prove it is what the manufacturer says it is. For hemp-CBD companies that go to great lengths to assure their products meet a high standard of quality, COAs set them apart from those that may not be as meticulous in their manufacturing processes.

Other organizations also analyze CBD and hemp products for content accuracy. Online industry watchdog Leafreport.com, for example, regularly samples a collection of products for content accuracy and purity.

Content and potency verification will remain highly important elements as the industry grows and cannabinoid-based products establish themselves in the mainstream of consumer use. As that process moves forward, look for more standardization in laboratory procedures and the probability of federal regulation to establish those standards.