What makes CBD products unreliable?

    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    CBD products are often unreliable because nonpharmaceutical versions can contain varying amounts of CBD and may include THC, as well as contaminants like metals, molds, and pesticides. The only FDA-approved CBD product, Epidiolex, is specifically used for 2 rare types of epilepsy.

    The only CBD pharmaceutical approved in the U.S. (Epidiolex®) is approved only for two rare types of epilepsy. Nonpharmaceutical CBD products are widely available, but they often contain a lot more or less CBD than stated on the label, and even sometimes some THC.[1][2]

    CBD products might also contain some of the same contaminants frequently found in cannabis: metals, molds, bacteria, pesticides, aflatoxins, synthetic cannabinoids,[3][4] and residual solvents from the production process (hexane, benzene, xylene, toluene, acetone, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol).[5]