Leafreport Study Reveals 53% of Tested CBG Products Had The Wrong Amount Of CBG

CBD is not the only beneficial hemp cannabinoid. Products containing minor cannabinoids like cannabigerol (CBG) are also growing popular.

Yet, CBG is harder to source than CBD. Does that mean CBG products are likely to provide the wrong amount of CBG?

To find out, we purchased 38 CBG products and sent them to SC Labs, a reputable cannabis testing lab. We compared the test results to the amount of CBG and other cannabinoids listed on the product label and description. Our findings were quite shocking.

Note: We’ve done similar third-party testing investigations of CBD oils, drinks, edibles, topicals, pet products, tea & coffee, and even delta 8 THC. We also report on product prices to help people save money on CBD.

Summary

Over half (52.6%) of the 38 products we sent for testing contained the wrong amount of CBG. They were off from the labeled CBG strength by anywhere from 10.4% to 64.7%.

Here’s a look at the other key findings:

• Out of 24 products advertised to carry a specific amount of CBG and CBD, 7 (29%) were accurate for CBG but not CBD, 8 (33%) were accurate for CBD but not CBG.
• Only 4 (17%) were accurate for both CBD and CBG labels.
• Topicals were the least accurate product category
• All 15 of the products advertised to contain broad or full-spectrum CBD had the right type of extract, a first in our reports
• Products from leading brands performed better than those made by small companies

Take a look at our buying guides

With such a wide variety of available CBD products, it’s not always easy to make a choice and find the right product for your needs.

Therefore, we examined dozens of brands, comparing their prices, third-party testing results, potency, hemp quality, and other factors.

We researched CBD products for different consumption methods and for different health conditions to help you find the most suitable ones.

• Best CBD oil – We chose these CBD oils from a list of over 3000 CBD products and 150 brands, comparing them by third-party lab test results, hemp quality, reputation, price, and other criteria.

• Best CBD gummies – Because there are so many CBD gummies out there, it can be difficult to figure out which product is suitable for your needs. We’ve compiled a list of some of the finest CBD gummies on the market. For those seeking a sleeping aid, we have also compiled a comprehensive list of the best CBD gummies for sleep. We did the same for the best CBD gummies for pain.

• Best CBD capsules – One popular delivery system is CBD capsules and softgels. These are used like any other capsule or softgel, which makes it a simple, convenient way to take CBD

• Best CBD for dogs & cats – There are a wide range of CBD products for pets out there, from tinctures and treats to balms, salves, and creams. Because interest in CBD has increased, more companies are creating pet-specific CBD items, which means we’re spoiled for choice. If you’re shopping for CBD pet products, you might be overwhelmed by all the choices out there

• Best CBD for pain – Many people use CBD products for pain relief. This isn’t surprising as research has shown that CBD can help with various types of pain. As part of our research, we compared dozens of CBD products in order to determine the most effective ones for treating pain. We also created a list of the Best CBD for Arthritis.

• Best CBD for anxiety – Our team of medical doctors, nutritionists, and other health experts chose these products based on their quality, transparency, price, and other criteria. For example, all of the products we recommend are tested by a third party lab to verify their potency and safety.

• Best CBD for sleep – However, the wide variety of available CBD products can be overwhelming. That’s why we researched and compared dozens of brands to find the best CBD ones for sleep.

• Best full spectrum CBD oil – Full-spectrum CBD is a whole-plant hemp extract. It contains the complete range of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and potentially other compounds naturally present in hemp. We used our database to compare hundreds of CBD oils based on objective criteria. In this post, we’ll review the most effective full-spectrum CBD tinctures that we found.

Accuracy Rating

We measured the accuracy of CBG products by comparing their labeled CBG strength to the amount found by the third-party lab tests.

While some variation is expected for a natural product like hemp-derived CBG, it should still be within reasonable levels. Industry experts recommend that cannabis products should contain cannabinoid levels that are within 10% of the label.

That means CBG products should contain anywhere from 90% to 110% of the amount stated on the label to be considered accurate.

Using this 10% cutoff, we gave products one of four accuracy ratings:

1. A (Excellent): independent lab tests showed CBG levels that were within 10% of what was stated on the label.
2. B (Decent): independent lab tests showed CBG levels that were within 20% of the label.
3. C (Poor): independent lab tests showed CBG levels that were within 30% of the label.
4. F (Fail): independent lab tests showed CBG levels that differed from the label by more than 30%.

CBD Third-Party Testing Explained

Third-party tests are done by an independent lab to confirm the safety and potency of CBD, CBG, and other hemp-derived products.

CBD companies pay for independent testing to reassure customers that their products are free of contaminants and contain the advertised amount of cannabinoids.

The most important third-party test is called a cannabinoid profile or potency test. It measures the levels of CBD and other cannabinoids in a product.

This is the main test we order for our reports. Verifying the potency of a CBD product is important for several reasons:

• You want to know you’re getting exactly what you paid for
• A product with less CBD than claimed will be less effective
• A product with more CBD than claimed will make it harder to figure out your dosage

Certificate of Analysis (CoA)

We bought 38 CBG products and sent them to SC Labs, an experienced cannabis testing lab. The lab technicians tested the products and recorded the results in documents called certificates of analysis (CoAs).

Next, we compared the levels of CBG shown on the CoAs to the label. We also looked at the levels of CBD and other cannabinoids detected by the tests, especially if the manufacturer claimed to use broad-spectrum or full-spectrum hemp extract.

For example, if a company sold CBG gummies that should contain 25 mg of CBG per piece but the tests only found 15 mg, that would be 40% less CBG than advertised.

This poor result would receive an F rating since you’d be getting much less CBG than you paid for.

How to Read CoAs

Most CBD companies publish third-party CoAs directly on their website. This way, it’s easy for you to confirm that a CBD product is safe and accurate before buying it.

Reading a CoA may seem difficult because of the scientific jargon and abbreviations, but it’s not that complicated. The key section is called “cannabinoids,” “cannabinoid profile,” “potency,” or something similar.

Here, you’ll see columns and graphs with names of cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG, THC, and others, and their amounts in percentages or milligrams (mg) per milliliter (ml), gram, serving, or unit.

If you want more tips for reading CoAs, check out our detailed guide.

Summary Table

Below is the summary of the test results for the 38 CBG products we sent to SC Labs. These included 14 tincture, 8 gummy, 8 topical, 7 capsule, and 1 edible product.

You can see the detailed test results for each product at the bottom of the report.

Note that products with a minus sign under the variance column contained less CBG than stated on the label, while others had more.

Disclaimer: Our report is based solely on the test findings. Test results may vary due to the natural variation of CBD levels in hemp, degradation of CBD and other cannabinoids over time, and other factors. Our findings should not be seen as conclusive, complete, error-free, or at all times methodologically or scientifically accurate.

Conclusion

Out of 38 tested products, 18 (47.4%) got an A, 13 (34.2%) got a B, 5 (13.1%) got a C, and 2 (5.3%) received an F. In other words, over half (52.6%) had inaccurate CBG levels.

However, all 15 products advertised to contain broad or full-spectrum CBD were correct. That’s a great result since our previous reports found at least a few products that carried the wrong type of CBD extract.

We also discovered that out of 24 products advertised to contain both CBG and CBG, only 4 (17%) were accurate for both. Seven products (29%) were accurate for CBG but not CBD, 8 (33%) were accurate for CBD but not CBG, and 5 (21%) were inaccurate for both.

These results suggest that it’s harder for brands to meet label claims for two rather than only one cannabinoid.

We also found that products from leading companies performed better than lesser-known brands, with most scoring an A or B. They also accounted for 3 out of 4 products with accurate amounts of both CBG and CBD.

Another interesting finding was that tinctures and capsules performed the best, with 57% receiving an A and another 29% getting a B. Gummies had similar scores, whereas topical CBG products performed the worst.

Overall, our findings highlight the challenge of providing the right amount of not just one but two cannabinoids and suggest that CBG products have room to improve. Nonetheless, the study findings exceeded our expectations.

If you’re interested in CBG, go with tinctures, capsules, or gummies made by reputable brands that list how much CBG (and potentially CBD) is present and check the third-party test results to make sure they match.

Detailed Test Results

Check out the detailed test findings for each CBG product below, including the levels of CBD and other cannabinoids.

Social CBD CBG Drops

Social CBD is a mid-tier brand out of California. Its CBG oil drops are advertised to contain 1500 mg of CBG. Our tests found 1535.3 mg, which is only 2.4% higher.

That’s a great result that falls within the 10% cutoff needed for an A score.

CBDfx CBD + CBG Morning Capsules

CBDfx is a leading CBD brand out of California, so we were curious to see how it would do. The company’s morning capsules should have 150 mg of CBG in total.

The third-party tests detected 139.8 mg, which is 6.8% lower. That’s a good result because it’s well within the 10% variance we expect from an accurately labeled product.

The tests also found 824.361 mg of CBD, which is close to the advertised amount of 900 mg.

Zatural Nano CBD + CBG Capsules

Zatural isn’t a well-known CBD brand. But when we sent its CBD/CBG capsules for testing, the results showed 431.1 mg of CBG, which is only 4.2% less than the claimed 450 mg.

The tests also detected 295 mg of CBD, which is almost twice the advertised strength of 150 mg. While we’d like the CBD levels to be more accurate, CBG is the star cannabinoid here.

The Hemp Doctor CBG/CBD Full Spectrum Tincture

The Hemp Doctor is another relatively unknown CBD brand. Its full-spectrum CBG/CBD tincture should provide 500 mg of CBG and our tests found 524.8 mg.

That’s only 5% higher, so we gave it an A.

The tests also found 552.45 mg of CBD, which is a tad higher than the advertised 500 mg, as well as THC and minor cannabinoids, confirming that this is a full-spectrum product.

Steve’s Goods CBG Gummies

Steve’s Goods is a Colorado brand known for being one of the first to introduce CBG and other minor cannabinoid products.

We sent its CBG gummies for testing, which should contain 225 mg per bottle. The tests showed 219.9 mg, which is only 2.3% less, so we gave these gummies an A.

Extract Labs CBG Chocolate

Extract Labs is a popular, veteran-owned CBD company based in Colorado. We sent its CBG-infused chocolate for testing, which showed 33.9 mg of CBG.

That’s 5.8% higher than the advertised 32 mg, which is an excellent result, especially since it’s harder to maintain accuracy with such small amounts.

The tests also found 63.9 mg of CBD, which is within 10% of the advertised 66 mg.

Medterra CBG+CBD Oil

Medterra is one of the biggest and most reputable names in the CBD industry, and its CBG+CBD oil didn’t disappoint. It should have 500 mg of CBG and the tests found 548.7 mg, which is 9.8% higher.

That’s just within our 10% accuracy cutoff so it gets an A. The tests also found 561.4 mg of CBD, which is fairly close to the advertised 500 mg.

Green Garden Gold CBG Gummies

Green Garden Gold isn’t the most transparent brand, so we didn’t know what to expect from its CBG gummies. The bottle should have 450 mg in total and the tests detected 446.8 mg, or 0.7% less than the label.

That’s one of the best results out of any product we tested, proving that you don’t need to be a leading CBD brand to provide accurately labeled products.

Game Up Nutrition CBD + CBG Broad Spectrum Oil

Game Up Nutrition is another small CBD brand that we weren’t that familiar with. Its CBD + CBG oil should have 500 mg of each cannabinoid.

The tests found 534.4 mg of CBG, which is 6.9% higher than the label. That’s a well-deserved A for accuracy.

Additionally, the tests found 528.1 mg of CBD, which is within 10% of the label and confirms that this is a broad-spectrum product.

Smilyn Revive Tincture

Smilyn Wellness is a mid-tier CBD brand out of California offering a wide range of products.

Its Revive tincture should contain 1250 mg of CBG and 1250 mg of CBD. The tests we got back showed 1249.2 mg CBG or only 0.06% less.

That’s the best result out of any product we tested. The tests also found 1297.6 mg of CBD, which is within 10% of the label.

Batch CBG Oil

Batch is a Wisconsin-based CBD brand. Its CBG oil should provide 500 mg of CBG and 500 mg of CBD. The tests found 512.7 mg of CBG, which gets an A since it’s only 2.5% more.

The results also showed 619.5 mg of CBD, which is more than advertised. Still, it’s nice to get more CBD than you paid for.

ReThink Hemp CBD + CBG Capsules

ReThink’s CBD + CBG capsules should provide 300 mg of CBG and our tests found 321.9 mg. That’s 7.3% more, so it gets an A.

The tests also found 668.1 mg of CBD, which is a bit more than the advertised 600 mg. Overall, that’s still a good result.

Nass Valley CBG Oil

We haven’t heard of the brand Nass Valley before so we didn’t know what to expect from its CBG oil. It should carry 1000 mg of CBG and the tests found 1061.5 mg, which is 6.1% more.

That’s within the 10% we expect from an accurate product, so it gets an A. The tests also found small amounts of other cannabinoids and zero THC, confirming that this is a broad-spectrum tincture.

Procana CBG Softgels

Procana is a relatively small CBD company. Its CBG softgels should contain 300 mg of CBG per bottle. The tests showed 308 mg, which is 2.7% higher.

That’s an excellent result that gets an A on our accuracy metric.

Flower Child CBG Salve

Flower Child is another small brand that we didn’t have much experience with. Its CBD salve should contain 350 mg of CBG. The tests found 324.7 mg, which is a difference of 7.2%.

Since that’s less than 10%, we gave it an A for accuracy.

The tests also found small amounts of THC and other cannabinoids, confirming that this salve is made with full-spectrum hemp extract.

Tillman’s Tranquils CBG Gummies

Tillman’s Tranquils offers a variety of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. We sent its CBG gummies for testing. They should contain 750 mg of CBG in total and our tests found 696.7 mg, which is 7.1% lower.

Since the difference is less than 10%, we gave these gummies an A.

Creating Better Days Immunity Elixir

The Immunity Elixir from Creating Better Days is supposed to contain 250 mg of CBG and 250 mg of CBD. The test results showed 259.6 mg of CBG, which is a great result that’s only 3.8% higher.

The tests also found 214.4 mg of CBD, which is a bit lower than advertised.

Deep Relief CBD Sour Gummies

The CBD sour gummies from Deep Relief are advertised to contain 25 mg of CBD and 5 mg of CBG.

Our tests found 5.034 mg of CBG per piece, which is only 0.7% off from the label. That’s an excellent result that deserves an A.

Meanwhile, the CBD levels were a bit high: 32.3 mg per piece.

Lazarus Naturals CBG Tincture

Lazarus Naturals is one of the most reputable CBD companies on the market. Its CBG oil tincture should provide 1500 mg of CBG but actually had 1705.3 mg.

That’s a difference of 13.7%, which is higher than 10% so it gets a B. Not a bad result but not quite good enough to be considered accurate.

Extract Labs CBG Rescue Rub

Extract Labs has one of the widest varieties of CBG products on the market, so we decided to test a second product: the CBG rescue rub. It should have 1000 mg of CBG but our tests found only 866.1 mg, which is 13.4% less.

That’s not the worst result but it does fall short of our best rating so it gets a B.

The tests also found 914.5 mg of CBD, which is close to the advertised amount (1000 mg).

Absolute Nature CBD:CBG Gummies

Absolute Nature isn’t the most known brand out there but we were curious to test its CBD: CBG gummies.

They should contain 225 mg of each cannabinoid. However, the tests found only 201.6 mg of CBG. That’s 10.4% less, which is just a tad short of the 10% cutoff for an A so we gave it a B.

Having said that, the CBD content was on point: 223.4 mg. The tests also detected THC and minor cannabinoids, confirming that these gummies are full-spectrum.

Kiara Naturals Full Spectrum CBG + CBD Oil

Kiara Naturals is an innovative herbal supplement brand out of Switzerland. We bought its CBG+CBD oil, which should provide 500 mg of CBG.

The tests found 444.2 mg, which is 11.2% less. That’s not a bad result but it does fall short of an A.

The tests also showed 1171.7 mg of CBD, which is a bit more than the advertised amount of 1000 mg. THC and other cannabinoids were also present, confirming that this tincture is made with full-spectrum hemp extract.

SunMed CBG Gummies

SunMed is the brand behind the national chain of “Your CBD Stores.” The company’s CBG gummies should contain 25 mg of CBG per piece. Our tests found 21.2 mg, which is 15.3% less.

That falls short of the max 10% difference needed for an A so we gave it a B. The tests also found other cannabinoids and zero THC, verifying that this product is broad-spectrum.

CBDistillery CBD + CBG Tincture

CBDistillery is one of the top CBD brands so we wanted to see how it would do. We bought its CBD + CBG oil tincture, which should have 500 mg of each cannabinoid.

The tests detected 570.3 mg of CBG, which is 14.1% more. Not a bad result but a few percent short of the cutoff for an A. The results also showed 578.7 mg of CBD as well as THC and minor cannabinoids, confirming that this oil is full-spectrum.

SwissCannaLife CBD + CBG Roll On

The CBD + CBG roll on from SwissCannaLife should contain 1000 mg of each cannabinoid. The tests found 887 mg of CBG, which is 11.3% lower.

That’s just short of an A so it gets a B. The tests also showed 973.6 mg of CBD, which was closer to the advertised amount.

NuLeaf Naturals Multicannabinoid Capsules

NuLeaf Naturals is one of the oldest and most reputable CBD brands on the market. We bought its multicannabinoid capsules, which contain roughly equal amounts of CBG, CBD, CBC, and CBN.

In total, these capsules should provide 75 mg of CBG but our tests found only 62.8 mg. That’s 16.2% less, which isn’t a bad result considering the relatively low product strength.

The tests also found 75.6 mg of CBD, 62.8 mg of CBG, and 67.3 mg of CBN, all of which are at or slightly below the advertised amounts. There was also THC, verifying that this is a full-spectrum product.

Goodekind CBG Topical

Goodekind is a relatively small CBD company. We bought its CBG topical, which should have 300 mg of CBG but our tests found 263.6 mg.

That’s 12.1% less, which isn’t a bad result. But it is a few percent short of an A.

Simple Leaf CBG Capsules

Simple Leaf specializes in all sorts of capsules, including CBG ones. They should provide 900 mg of CBG and our tests found 788.3 mg.

That’s 12.4% than the label, which is a little shy of 10% so it gets a B.

Proleve CBG Gummies

Proleve offers many kinds of gummies, including ones with CBG. They should contain 25 mg per piece and our tests detected 22.2 mg, which is 11.1% less.

That’s a fairly good result but it does fall one percent short of the cutoff needed for an A.

Kurativ CBD/CBG 10:1 Full Spectrum Cream

Kurativ is a small CBD brand out of Canada. We purchased its full-spectrum cream in travel size, which should have a 10:1 ratio of CBD to CBG.

That translates to about 2.6 mg of CBG. Our tests showed 3 mg of CBG, which is 14% more. Even though that’s off by over 10%, it’s a good result since the amount is so small.

The tests also detected CBD, THC, and minor cannabinoids, verifying that this is a full-spectrum hemp product.

Plant People + Relief Drops

New York’s Plant People is a popular brand that offers a variety of CBD oils, including one with added CBG. Although there’s no listed CBG strength, we compared our test results to the company’s third-party tests.

Our tests found 7.8 mg of CBG, which is 16.8% lower than the 9.4 mg shown on the brand’s independent tests. Again, that’s not a bad result since we’re working with such small amounts.

The tests also detected 356.4 mg of CBD, which is close to the labeled amount of 360 mg, as well as THC and minor cannabinoids, confirming that this tincture is full-spectrum.

Fifth Element Clear Roll On

The CBD roll on from Fifth Element is supposed to contain multiple cannabinoids. However, it didn’t come with a CBG strength so we compared our test results to the independent tests provided by the company.

They found 27.4 mg of CBG compared to 20.4 mg on our tests, which is a difference of 25.6%. Although this gets a C for being more than 20% off from the label, it’s not a bad result since the CBG amount is small.

The tests also found THC and other cannabinoids, confirming that this is a full-spectrum product.

Upstate Elevator Supply Co. CBG+CBD+CBDA Capsules

Vermont’s Upstate Elevator Supply Co. is a quality brand. It offers multiple capsule formulas, including one with equal amounts of CBG, CBD, and CBDA (10 mg each).

The test results showed 12.3 mg of CBG, which is 23.4% higher than claimed. Still, that’s not a bad result considering the low strength of these capsules.

The tests also found 12.7 mg of CBD, 9.6 mg of CBDA, THC, and other cannabinoids, verifying that this is a full-spectrum product.

Kurativ CBD/CBG 10:1 Full Spectrum Balm

This balm was the second product we tested from the brand Kurativ. It should have a 10:1 ratio of CBD to CBG, which is equivalent to 750 and 75 mg.

The tests detected 93.2 mg of CBG, which is 24.3% higher. That’s more than 20% off from the label so we gave it a C. However, the CBD amount was more accurate with 790.1 mg.

THC and other cannabinoids were also present, confirming that this is a full-spectrum product.

Hemptown USA Harvest Blend Salve

Hemptown USA is another relatively small brand. We sent its Harvest Blend salve for testing, finding that it contained 611.2 mg of CBG instead of the labeled 500 mg.

That’s a difference of 22.2%. While it’s nice to get more CBG than you paid for, that’s a fairly large difference so it gets a C.

Our tests also found 706.5 mg of CBD, which is significantly higher than the advertised 500 mg.

Hyve CBD Full Spectrum + CBG Tincture

Hyve CBD’s full-spectrum + CBG tincture provides a 20:1 ratio of CBD to CBG. That equates to 15 mg of CBG.

The tests found 19.4 mg, which is 29% more. While that is a big difference, we can cut the company some slack since the CBG strength of this product is low.

The results also showed 311.9 mg of CBD, which is close to the advertised 300 mg, plus THC and other cannabinoids.

CBD American Shaman CBG Gummies

CBD American Shaman is a large CBD company with many products. Its CBG gummies should provide 10 mg per piece but our tests found only 6.7 mg, which is 32.6% less.

This poor result gets an F since you’re getting much less CBG than you paid for.

The tests also found 5.7 mg of CBD per piece, despite the company’s claims that the gummies are free of all other cannabinoids.

Sanar CBG/CBD Tincture

The CBG/CBD tincture from the brand Sanar is supposed to contain 1000 mg of each cannabinoid.

Unfortunately, our tests found only 352.6mg of CBG, which is 64.7% lower — the worst result we saw. The tincture also contained twice the amount of CBD: 2016.6 mg instead of 1000 mg.