Know Your Hemp
It is critical to choose a CBD source that begins with very high-quality hemp.
This is largely because hemp is a “hyperaccumulator,” meaning it absorbs contaminants in the soil. Hemp is so good at absorption that it is used in bioremediation efforts to clean toxic heavy metals and pollutants from soil.
Our hemp begins at a single origin, from a three-generation family owned and operated Pacific Northwest farm that uses the highest standards of care in food-grade/clinical-grade manufacturing methods. This makes AnnaFarma’s CBD products 100% truly organic and naturally grown. That means no pesticides, no harsh solvents and no B.S.
How is CBD Extracted?
The current CBD market is riddled with a lack of transparency and reliability. As a result, it is important to evaluate the extraction methods used by producers of CBD products.
Many companies use cheap extraction methods to remove cannabinoids from hemp - this involves toxic solvents like propane, hexane, pentane and butane. These are compounds that people should not consume, especially if they are ill! The current state-of-the-art for CBD extraction is “supercritical CO2 extraction” and 100% of AnnaFarma’s CBD products are created using this method.
Know Your Testing
Our Testing is More Accurate
Given the lack of regulation over hemp-based products, many producers and distributors do not conduct what we consider to be adequate testing. Instead, they bank on consumers not unpacking what the claims “lab-tested” or “high purity” really mean. What was tested and what was it tested for? How reputable is the lab conducting the tests? Will the product continue to be tested and will consumers be updated? The reality is many producers and distributors (1) shop around for labs that will provide favorable results (2) actually test positive for heavy metals and solvents and rely on consumers not to thoroughly review the results (we have reviewed results from top distributors that test positive for compounds like lead and arsenic) and (3) only provide testing for potency and neglect to provide testing for pesticides, heavy metals and/or solvents.
We at AnnaFarma strive to be best-in-class with regards to testing. The hemp used in the creation of AnnaFarma’s CBD products has been through hundreds of tests for potency and harmful compounds over several years. These tests have been conducted by governmental agencies and numerous independent third party laboratories, including the University of Washington.
The most sensitive targeted technology available for detecting unwanted pesticides, molds and other compounds in hemp is high-performance liquid chromatogrophy and gas chromatogrophy with mass spectrometry (MS); this method allows lab analysts to identify individual compounds within a sample. AnnaFarma uses several different MS technologies in creating its CBD products, including the Waters Xero TQ-s system, to provide the most accurate and comprehensive testing available.
Still, MS testing will only show analysts what they are looking for. What this means is that a producer or distributor will need to decide which harmful compounds to look for, and choosing a more expansive list will be more expensive and time-consuming. So, of the few producers and distributors that conduct MS testing, even fewer choose to search for a comprehensive list of harmful compounds. We at AnnaFarma have targeted 327 harmful compounds (with none detected) in our latest MS testing and we don't know of any other CBD distributor who has taken on such an expense. Our products will be continuously tested and updates will be provided via the AnnaFarma Blog. To view our third party lab results please contact our experts at ask.anna@annafarma.com.
