Nowadays, all sorts of hemp-based products are in higher demand than ever before, as more people discover its variety of unique and enjoyable effects. This is great for our industry, with companies introducing all kinds of exceptional products infused with concentrated forms of all sorts of cannabinoids. But, with high demand always comes a greater likelihood of encountering fake products, which naturally we all want to avoid.
Why Do Fake Hemp Products Exist?
You would think that an industry as mainstream as the hemp industry would be subjected to very strict federal standards to avoid fakes being introduced onto the market. But sadly, while the hemp market awaits governing regulation, companies can basically do whatever they want when making hemp. A fake hemp-infused product may contain zero of that said cannabinoid at all, and less experienced customers may simply not know any better. Some fakes can be dangerous, since shady companies can put anything that they want into their formulas. Of course, this is the reason why you should only buy your cannabinoids from a trusted, reputable brand, preferably online, in order to completely avoid ending up with potentially dangerous counterfeit delta 8.
How to Identify Fake Hemp Products
Yes, there are some easy ways to identify a fake hemp product, and by knowing what these are, next time you can simply take note of them when purchasing a specific formula.
Tip #1: View a Company’s Contact Information
One of the best ways to spot a fake is to look up the contact information of a company, usually provided by their website. A company that has nothing to hide will make it very easy for customers to access them through phone or email, or even better, live chat. If a company does not make it easy for you to get in touch, you have to ask yourself why – is it because they don’t want to hear from customers who had unhappy experiences with their products?
A company that doesn’t even have any online presence whatsoever is a huge red flag. Hemp is a highly competitive industry, and you really can’t survive if you don’t have a website, as well as social media of some kind. Companies who engage in sketchy practices, however, likely want to lay low and not draw too much attention to themselves outside of offering some products in stores.
Tip #2: Look for Those Third-Party Lab Results
One way in which the hemp industry consistently proves its legitimacy is through third-party lab-testing. This is a standard created and maintained by the hemp industry as a whole, and even has been in practice for years. The process is simple: a hemp company sends their batch of cannabinoid extract to a third-party laboratory that has a license from the state to analyze samples of hemp. The batch is fully tested for purity levels, quality and of course, legitimacy. Then, the sample is sent back to the company along with the resulting lab reports verifying that the product is up to par. From there, the company makes these lab reports available to the public, usually through their website, to prove their authenticity and quality levels.
A company that does not engage in third-party testing is a company that should be avoided. After all, if a company is selling fake, this would be indicated in a lab test. Sadly, you also have to bear in mind that companies can fake lab reports. The only way to verify the authenticity of a lab report is to find the laboratory’s name on the upper corner of the sheet and look them up to find their certification with the state. The good news is that most counterfeit companies don’t even go through all this trouble, and so most lab reports are legitimate.
Tip #3: Read the Ingredients
One key giveaway of a fake product is the list of ingredients. While companies can fake the ingredients, due to existing FDA protocol that requires all products sold in stores to list their ingredients, a fake company is unlikely to take the risk. This means that most brands selling fake products will be honest about the ingredients inside, and this is where you can determine whether or not the product is safe or authentic. Obviously, if there is no hemp-derived delta 8 THC, delta 9 THC, delta 10 THC, THC-O, HHC, etc. in the list, it’s a fake. Also, if the ingredients sound like they don’t belong in that said product, stay away. Examples include certain types of medications and chemical ingredients that don’t ordinarily exist in commonly used cannabinoid-type formulas.
Tip #4: Consider the Source
We said earlier that it’s always best to buy hemp-infused products directly a company through their website, since you can count on getting the actual product you wanted to buy. Hemp sold in unlicensed business environments like flea markets and local ads on Craigslist are hard to verify in terms of their authenticity, so you should just avoid these places altogether. You might even find fakes in gas stations, not because the owners of these businesses are trying to fool you, but because they simply don’t know enough about cannabinoids to know how to spot a fake themselves. We strongly recommend only buying online, where you can access lab reports for yourself.
Tip #5: Give It a Smell
This might not always be possible, but if you can, smell a product before you buy it, or at least before you take it for the first time. Hemp-based products should never smell like synthetic chemicals, as these can be harmful and are never used by legitimate companies. Plus, if a product has terpenes in it, such as strain-specific vape cartridges or full spectrum gummies, you’ll know the authenticity easily because terpenes have a very specific smell – in fact, it’s the smell of the hemp plant itself.
Final Authentic Thoughts
It’s appalling that there are companies out there selling fake and potentially dangerous hemp products. Fortunately, however, spotting a fake is not that hard, especially if you have some experience with that said cannabinoid, which in turn, can give you an idea of how a product should look and smell. And, the top way to avoid fakes altogether is to simply buy your products directly at The Calm Leaf, where you can know with absolute certainty that what you’re buying is 100% authentic.