Are Heavy Metals in Your CBD Oil?

scientist testing cbd oil for heavy metals like lead

Cannabidiol, commonly called CBD, is a cannabinoid produced by hemp or cannabis plants. The difference between hemp and cannabis is that hemp produces very little THC, while cannabis plants produce a lot of THC , and a little or a lot of CBD depending on the strain. CBD oil and CBD gummies can be very effective at reducing pain, inflammation, and anxiety, but only if the products aren’t contaminated with things like heavy metals.

Why hemp is not your average plant

Hemp and cannabis plants are unique in the fact that they pull up toxins from the ground where they are planted. Hemp is so powerful at bioremediation that it was planted to remove radioactive waste from the soil after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine. The plants had to be disposed of as radioactive waste as well.

What does this mean for customers looking to buy CBD or cannabis products? If the hemp or cannabis your product was made on was grown on contaminated land, your product will contain those toxins. I’m not saying your CBD oil is radioactive by any means, but hemp plants also pull pesticides and heavy metals from the ground and they end up in your CBD product that was supposed to be helping your health!

Why CBD oil might contain heavy metal toxins

Heavy metals can also come from the nutrients used to “feed” the plants if they are not high quality to begin with or they are not flushed out of the plant properly before harvesting. So don’t think just because the hemp or cannabis is grown indoors that your product is guaranteed to be 100% safe. It’s important for hemp or cannabis to be grown properly by licensed commercial growers.

Heavy metals are toxic at low levels to our brain and body. They include mercury, lead, arsenic, nickel, cadmium, chromium, and thallium. If you have any type of chronic illness, especially if you have a neurological condition or autoimmune disorder, you are hypersensitive to heavy metal poisoning.

Get your FREE CBD Safety Guide

The dangers of heavy metal poisoning – my story

As a survivor of lead poisoning from an apartment I lived in Los Angeles, I can firsthand tell you of the dangers of heavy metal poisoning, and the long-lasting impact on your health. Before I knew I was being exposed to between 20x-500x the legal levels of lead depending on what room of the apartment I was in, I was suffering from confusion, memory loss, constant nausea and vomiting, unexplained weight loss, tremors, and seizures.

Months went by before we figured out the issue causing my sudden health decline. Even after moving out of that apartment, I have permanent nerve damage, called neuropathy, in my hands and feet, fibromyalgia, and have chronic pain and spasms each and every day of my life.

Does lab-tested CBD oil really make a difference?

Now, whenever I use a new CBD or cannabis product, I can almost immediately detect whether or not it contains heavy metals, pesticides, or solvents that should not be in there because I am hypersensitive to it. I’ll get nauseous, develop a headache, and start to feel more joint pain, not less. I was sick of spending money on cannabis products that made me sick and I couldn’t return!

My recommendation for buying safe cannabis products

It’s so important to make sure your CBD oil was third-party lab tested recently (and not 2 years ago on a completely different batch of product!). Sometimes even trusted CBD oil manufacturers change the farms they get their hemp from, and suddenly are selling CBD oil tainted with heavy metals and pesticides. Ask for lab tests, and better yet, stick to brands I’ve personally vetted: my favorite CBD oil products.