“As CBD becomes more mainstream and common, the ultimate goal for RealTestedCBD.com is to educate everyone about CBD and squash myths."

A U.S. company that helps consumers better understand CBD by comparing various related products claims it has become the first organization to air a CBD commercial on major television networks.

“As CBD becomes more mainstream and common, the ultimate goal for RealTestedCBD is to educate everyone about CBD and squash myths,” Steve Townsend, the website’s general manager, says in the statement.

“The CBD industry is kind of like the Wild West right now — there aren’t many rules and regulations as to who can create a CBD brand, and who can sell CBD products,” Townsend told High Times.

 “The result of this issue is the creation of an industry where it is very difficult for consumers to distinguish good brands from bad brands, and good products from bad products.”

Indeed, data released last year from Invisibly’s Realtime Research survey found that 58 per cent of respondents reported they didn’t know the difference between CBD and THC-containing products.

The company website notes the platform provides, free of charge, tested lab results of some of the most popular CBD products on the U.S. market.

RealTestedCBD’s claim to first CBD commercial fame, though, seems particularly timely given what is happening in the U.S. with delta-THC, the emergence of other cannabis compounds and the fact that CBD can be found in many different places, according to High Times.

Labelling, whether related to CBD or THC, has proved a sticky, sometimes criticized proposition.

Last fall, a scientific paper with a Canadian connection suggested that indica or sativa labels on products were “poor predictors of a sample’s genetics and chemistry.” That could mean a buyer expecting distinct aromas or psychoactive effects — based on the indica or sativa tag — could be sorely disappointed.

With regard to medicinal marijuana, the Harvard Gazette reported last spring that the contents of these products can vary considerably from distributors’ claims. Despite an increase in demand as more U.S. states legalize weed, “there is little consistency in product regulation or labelling, unlike the strict regulation of medicines purchased through a pharmacy,” the article adds.

In Canada, cannabis testing is required by a certified, government-approved lab and labels must list critical information for consumers, The GrowthOp reported in 2020. Sources told TGO’s Sam Riches that it’s not uncommon for producers to send samples to various labs and partner with whichever one sends back the highest score for THC. High THC content has been cited as a big driver for buying recreational cannabis products.

It’s enough of an issue that a student-led project out of Southern Illinois University Carbondale will put the accuracy of CBD labels to the test. “I hope this study can clarify the problem that currently exists with the label content of CBD products, and for the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) to be more rigorous with this market,” Roberto Santos-Torres, who is examining hemp-derived CBD products, said in a news release last fall.

Last October, Technavio announced it expected the CBD market size to increase by US$ 29.91 billion ($38 billion) between 2020 and 2025.