Finding Your Starting Dose of CBD
Long before a CBD manufacturer or brand ever releases a new product for consumer use, a significant amount of time, effort, and expertise go into developing a formula that contains a precise amount of CBD.
Too much CBD and you can disrupt the product’s intended purpose, too little CBD, and consumers are reporting dissatisfaction with their experiences. Every product has a “sweet spot,” a specific dosage of CBD that contributes to how people choose to incorporate it into their wellness routines.
However, figuring out how to find the perfect amount of CBD for your next product is often easier said than done. Accurately measuring how much CBD is in a given sample requires an experienced, knowledgeable hemp testing lab. And beyond that, refining product formulations to achieve certain CBD dosages is typically a highly complex process.
We’re taking a closer look at the topic of CBD dosage from an analytical testing perspective, exploring how to ensure accurate product formulation and dosing from a development perspective. Additionally, we’ll discuss why it’s important to have a reliable means for CBD testing, particularly for customer satisfaction and safety.
Why is it Valuable to Know How to Find Optimal CBD Dosing?
There are many reasons that manufacturers need to have a sufficient process for pinpointing CBD dosage in their products, ranging from customer safety to successful product formulation. Without the proper approach, you may find yourself with CBD products that fail to deliver the experience or dosage advertised. Also, you may be unable to move forward with the development and production of new CBD products.
Here is why the ability to measure CBD dosage will benefit your business:
It supports an effective approach to accurate product formulation.
As a CBD business owner, you’re well aware that developing a new product requires a major investment of time, effort, and money. But when you’re able to offer a product that meets customers’ needs and preferences, the results can be highly lucrative. Profits, customer satisfaction, and even your customer base as a whole can expand considerably.
But before you can even begin to celebrate the success of a new CBD product, you’ll have to develop it first. And one of the most important parts of the process is the formulation. In many cases, you will be aiming for a targeted CBD dosage as a way to offer options for individuals interested in the product for specific conditions or diseases. Or, you may be attempting to take an existing product to the next level by increasing the dose of CBD in each serving size. Even something as simple as creating a new flavor option requires testing to ensure that the CBD dosage hasn’t been affected.
Regardless of the motivating factor behind the new product, the CBD content is bound to be one of the core characteristics that attract consumers. Therefore, you must be able to reliably produce a final result that contains a consistent CBD dose as advertised.
Consumer satisfaction is on the line.
From a consumer perspective, the dose of CBD advertised on a product is assumed to be accurate. As a manufacturer, it is your responsibility to take the proper steps to your products to achieve the dosage level as noted on the packaging.
The dosage details inform a consumer’s decisions about serving size, consumption practices, and even their larger goals for the CBD experience. But if the CBD dose is incorrect, it can have a marked impact on their satisfaction with the product.
The majority of manufacturers got started in the business to positively impact their customers’ lives, making dosage testing and formulation an obvious must.
Using Testing to Determine How to Dose CBD in Your Products
Technically speaking, hemp-sourced cannabinoids are virtually identical to other fat-soluble nutrients derived from herbs. However, there are still variations that require specific expertise to effectively navigate.
Like any raw material, when hemp and CBD are used in a formula, the process should consider any overages that can occur due to the manufacturing process, testing variability, stability, or equipment tolerances. Testing inputs at each stage is highly important in order to achieve an accurate product formulation and optimal dose.
The unique challenges in effective hemp product formulation
Hemp extracts in an oil-based format (considered a native form), such as CBD oil or soft gel capsules, generally have fairly stable formulations. In terms of achieving an optimal dose, these forms of CBD can often be easier to work with.
When you expand to powdered hemp extracts, however, a number of variables can come into play. Further, for manufacturers that source their hemp from an external source, ensuring the reliability and consistency of products becomes especially critical.
The good news is that you don’t have to figure it out alone. CBD laboratory testing has rapidly advanced to keep up with the demands of the industry, regulators, and consumers alike. It is possible to have a clear picture of the exact amount of CBD per product serving size for every single one of your offerings – all you’ll need is a qualified, reputable laboratory by your side.
How to Calculate Ideal CBD Potency
Once you receive a cannabinoid profile from your trusted laboratory, you may be wondering exactly how to read it – and what it means in terms of the amount of CBD per serving size of a given product.
The results are typically representative of the actual concentration of cannabinoids within the sample, provided in percentages (%) w/w. For example, if your results report states that the 100g sample contained 10% CBD, it means that there are a total of 10g CBD (and 90g of other substances).
To determine the amount of CBD present in a certain volume of the sample, you will first need to calculate the product density. Measure the product’s volume as accurately as possible (for example, 100 ml), then weigh the volume. Continuing with our previous example, if the analysis reported 10% of CBD, and 100ml of the product is 95g, then 100mL of that specific product contains 9.5g of CBD. And thus, you have an exact number that corresponds to the dose of CBD in that product.
Master CBD Product Formulation with Nordic Analytical Laboratories
For hemp cultivators and producers in Colorado, the opportunities to build a thriving business are plentiful. However, competition in a rapidly-growing and evolving industry is in high supply as well. In order to stand out from your competitors and inspire long-term loyalty from your customers, developing outstanding products with consistent concentration and quality levels is key.
Nordic Analytical Laboratories can serve as your partner in the industry, offering our valuable expertise and professional services at every stage. We deliver the comprehensive support you need to succeed, from product development and formulation consulting to state-approved hemp testing in Colorado. Our testing process adheres to the highest standards of scientific excellence, so you can be confident that your results are accurate and 100% reliable.
Take the right steps towards perfecting CBD products that will help you achieve your business goals by selecting one of the most respected hemp testing labs in Colorado. Contact Nordic Analytical Laboratories to learn more about becoming a client today.
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