Vapouround magazine ISSUE 21 | Page 34

NEWS The Science Bit By Richard Cunningham, PhD Will CBD show up on a drug test? The benefits of CBD products are garnering significant attention and their use is becoming much more widespread. These CBD products can utilise purified CBD isolate or whole hemp extracts containing CBD which contain a range of other cannabinoids and terpenes (full spectrum). While CBD isolate is excellent by itself, some believe the full spectrum products could be more beneficial due to what’s known as ‘the entourage effect,’ arising from the other cannabinoids being present. One question I’ve been asked a few times now is, ‘Will the use of CBD products cause me to fail a drug test?’ With these sorts of questions, we always have to err on the side of caution as no two situations are the same. Please don’t consider the following as a simple yes or no answer. As CBD is legal, CBD and its metabolites are not tested for in routine drug tests. Therefore, there really is no concern when using CBD isolate products purchased from a trusted and reliable source. You can check this information out for the product range you are using simply by requesting a certificate of analysis (COA) from the supplier or manufacturer. A COA is usually completed by a laboratory that has performed the analysis on the sample, using a method like high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A COA should show the purity of the sample and if any other cannabinoids are present as well as their associated concentrations or strengths. 34 | VM21