Warning: & Why Double Lab Testing is SO IMPORTANT

In recent times, the popularity of Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC products, particularly gummies, has surged. However, amidst this boom, consumers must exercise caution due to a concerning issue: inaccurate packaging and Certificates of Analysis (COAs). The lack of consistency and reliability in packaging and COAs poses significant consumer risks, potentially leading to unintended consequences and health hazards.

The Problem with Inaccurate Packaging:

1. Misleading Dosage Information: Inaccurate packaging often misrepresents the dosage of Delta-8 and Delta-9 gummies. Consumers may unknowingly consume higher doses than intended, leading to unexpected psychoactive effects, discomfort, or adverse reactions.
2. Health Risks: Incorrect packaging can result in consumers ingesting higher levels of THC than they anticipate, potentially leading to impaired cognitive function, increased heart rate, anxiety, paranoia, or other adverse effects. This is particularly concerning for individuals who are new to cannabis or have a low tolerance.
3. Legal Implications: Inaccurate packaging not only jeopardizes consumer safety but also raises legal concerns. Exceeding legal THC limits could result in legal repercussions for both consumers and sellers, depending on local regulations.

The Issue with Inconsistent COAs:

1. Lack of Verification: Certificates of Analysis are meant to provide consumers with detailed information about the potency and purity of cannabis products. However, inconsistencies or discrepancies in COAs undermine their credibility and make it challenging for consumers to verify the product’s authenticity.
   
2. Potential Contamination: Inaccurate or inconsistent COAs may fail to detect contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, or residual solvents in Delta-8 and Delta-9 gummies. Consuming contaminated products poses serious health risks and undermines the purported therapeutic benefits of cannabis.
   
3. Loss of Trust: When consumers cannot rely on COAs to accurately reflect the composition of Delta-8 and Delta-9 gummies, trust in the product and the industry as a whole diminishes. This lack of transparency hinders informed decision-making and undermines consumer confidence.

According to a recent study by CBD Oracle, as reported in Forbes Magazine among others, the labeling of Delta-8 THC products is not good. They sent 51 different delta-8 products to FESA Labs, a licensed testing facility in Santa Ana, California to see if potency levels and other metrics printed on the products’ labels were accurate. Spoiler alert: Most were not. 

In fact, 75% were wrong.

According to CBD Oracle’s results, delta-8 product manufacturers routinely mislabel their gummies, vaporizer cartridges, and other products. In the worst examples, delta-8 products were 7700% over the legal THC limit of 0.3%! And, it gets worse.

According to Forbes:

Of the products tested, 77 percent had less delta-8 THC than advertised. One, a Blue Dream concentrate from a company called Binoid, contained only a third of the advertised delta-8.

And 76 percent actually contained more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC—which means the products, available online and at gas stations and smoke shops, are “indisputably” federally illegal, CBD Oracle found.

“The problem for many of the Delta-8 compnaies based on our testing is that the customers probably shouldn’t trust what’s on the labels,” as Jayneil Kamdar, a chemist withInfinite Chemical Analysis Labs, said in a statement.

Among the products tested, results ranged wildly. One company, Delta Alternatives, claimed 0.28 percent delta-9 THC on the label of a product that actually contained 22.34 percent delta-9 THC, according to FESA’s testing—a discrepancy of almost 8000 percent.

Numbers like this have to beg the question of where companies are getting the info they print on their products’ labels in the first place. I suppose it could be an error, but in some instances, it seems that their just making shit up.

Of the products tested, 20 claimed to offer users an easy way to check their label results’ Certificates of Authenticity, or COA. And in two instances, companies selling vaporizer cartridges simply faked or altered their lab results, the investigation found.

The offending companies were Boston Hempire and Hemp Doctor, according to CBD Oracle.

Lab officials are aware that cannabis companies are pulling fast ones with lab results, partially because so few customers actually check the COAs, and then even fewer contact the labs in question to verify that the results are legitimate.

The Moral of the Story…

What’s the answer? Well, most obviously the industry needs regulation and standards, but that takes time and a functional government and ours is not functioning all that productively at the moment. Until tighter regulations are put in place, it’s up to consumers to protect themselves, and that takes knowledge.

Never take a product that doesn’t offer a COA.

A certificate of analysis (COA) is a formal laboratory-prepared document that details the results of (and sometimes the specifications and analytical methods for) one or more laboratory analyses, signed—manually or electronically—by an authorized representative of the entity conducting the analyses.

COAs look like this:

Why Deltrium’s DOUBLE LAB TESTING is SO IMPORTANT

Deltrium DOUBLE LAB TESTS all its products. That means we submit our finished products to TWO INDEPENDENT testing laboratories. Two different labs that don’t know about each other. If the lab reports don’t match, we don’t offer the product… period.

That way, you always know exactly what’s inside Deltrium gummies, and that means you’ll get to know which blends are best for you based on the specific cannabinoids inside, and that there’s nothing in our gummies that shouldn’t be there.

It’s really, really important…

It’s really important that you know what you’re taking and without double lab testing, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be taking something based on the label where the lab report doesn’t match up.

Conclusion:

Consumers must exercise caution when purchasing Delta-8 and Delta-9 gummies, as inaccurate packaging and COAs pose significant risks to health, legality, and trust. It is crucial to scrutinize product labels, verify COAs from reputable laboratories, and purchase from trustworthy vendors who prioritize transparency and compliance with regulations. 

By remaining vigilant and informed, consumers can mitigate the risks associated with inaccuracies in Delta-8 and Delta-9 gummy packaging and COAs, ensuring a safer and more reliable cannabis experience.