Nearly three-quarters of trendy CBD products sold in Britain contain illegal psychoactive substances, a study has found.
Kent Scientific Services (KSS), a laboratory run by Kent County Council, found 44 out of 61 cannabis extract items it tested came back positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — a Class B banned compound.
Researchers have warned consumers have no idea what they are taking and risk failing drug tests as a result of the tainted products.
CBD — short for cannabidiol — is derived from the cannabis sativa plant and has become a booming £690million-a-year industry, outselling all other vitamin supplements combined.
It is sold in virtually every high street pharmacy and health shop and comes in the form of capsules, tablets, creams, sprays and even chewing gum and sweets.
CBD advocates claim it can do everything from treating insomnia, anxiety and joint pain to helping with serious conditions such as high blood pressure and even the eye disease glaucoma.
THC, on the other hand, is the psychoactive element of marijuana that has a narcotic effect and gives users the feeling of being ‘high’.
Kent Scientific Services experts found 44 out of the 61 CBD products — including gummy bears, cookies and lollipops — they tested included illicit THC
