Here are the risks involved with buying medical marijuana online.
If you’re buying medical marijuana online, you may not be getting what you’re paying for. Buying medical marijuana online could be dangerous if you’re only looking to ingest CBD. Your CBD could be stronger than stated or an under-labeled waste of money. It could even contain significant levels of THC. Buying medical marijuana online could be dangerous for anyone who gets drug tested or even parents treating their children’s seizure disorders with CBD.
Researchers from the study published this week in JAMA bought and tested 84 products from 31 different companies that claim to have CBD content on the packaging.
The results of testing revealed 42 percent of the products had more CBD than labeled. Having too much CBD isn’t that big of a deal unless you need precise doses. However, 26 percent of products had less CBD than advertised.
If the CBD content is too low, the product may not work at all.
Not only would that be a waste of money, it is a major problem for people suffering from debilitating conditions who need immediate relief. Imagine suffering and having to wait days for your medicine—only to find out it doesn’t work. Then, you’d have to buy another product, wait longer and hope that it works the next time.
The study found some CBD products they analyzed contained THC, specifically 18 of the 84 samples tested. While this may not be a big deal for some, it’s problematic for others. Some people purchase CBD online because they don’t want to get high or because they get drug tested regularly.
Parents using CBD to treat their children should also be concerned.
“Parents could be giving their kids THC without knowing it,” said Marcel Bonn-Miller, Ph.D., adjunct assistant professor of psychology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and lead author of the study.
About 30 percent of the products researched had accurate CBD contents (within 10 percent of the amount listed).
Researchers believe the main reason there are so many mislabeled CBD products on the market is the lack of regulation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Since cannabis is illegal federally, the FDA has no part in the production, labeling or distribution of cannabis at the state level.
“Right now, if you buy a Hershey bar, you know it has been checked over; you know how many calories are in it, you know it has chocolate as an ingredient, you know how much chocolate is in there,” Bonn-Miller said. “It’s crazy to have less oversight and information about a product being widely used for medicinal purposes, especially in very ill children, than a Hershey bar.”
Buying medical marijuana online is dangerous unless you find a reliable source. You can ask around for tried and trusted products or risk your money trying some yourself. Right now, it’s up to the consumer to do all the research. If you can find companies that provide up-to-date lab testing, that’s your best bet. Otherwise, you may have to buy, try and even lab test the products yourself. Without regulation, there’s no way to know for sure what you’re getting is what you paid for.
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