Is what is on the label in the bottle?

Often it is not, when the product is unregulated. Studies of CBD products bought online overseas keep finding that most contain noticeably more or less CBD than the label says, and that some contain undeclared THC or contaminants. Prescription products supplied in Australia are held to a quality standard and have tested much closer to their labels, though oversight has gaps.

What have studies of unregulated products found?

“Accurately labelled” in these studies means the measured CBD was within 10% of the amount on the label.

A few patterns stand out.

Format matters. In the 2017 study, vape liquids were the most often mislabelled (21 of 24) and oils the least (22 of 40).¹ In the 2024 study, gummies were the most likely to contain less CBD than labelled (27 of 48), while topicals were more likely to contain more.³

Too much is as common as too little. Getting more CBD than expected is not a bonus. Side effects, liver enzyme rises and medicine interactions are dose-related. The authors of one study pointed to these risks of taking too much, alongside the risk of getting no effect from taking too little.² See CBD side effects and CBD and the liver.

Some products contain almost no CBD. In the 2017 study, measured concentrations ranged from 0.10 mg/mL upward.¹ The World Health Organization’s review noted that United States regulators had sent warning letters about products claiming specified amounts of CBD “when testing demonstrates the absence of CBD”.⁵

All of these studies are from the United States, where hemp-derived CBD is widely sold as a consumer product without medicine-style regulation. They show what happens in an unregulated market. They are not a measure of Australian pharmacy products.

Do “CBD” products contain THC?

Some do, including some that say they do not.

• In the 2017 study, THC was detected in 18 of 84 products (21%), at up to 6.43 mg/mL.¹
• In a 2022 analysis of 80 unregulated products, THC was measurable in 52 samples. Twenty-one products were labelled “THC-free”, and 5 of those contained THC.⁶
• In the 2024 study, 26% of products labelled full spectrum, broad spectrum or isolate did not meet the definition of the type claimed.³

Undeclared THC has real consequences. It can produce a positive roadside, workplace or sporting drug test. It can cause intoxication. In a child or a pet it can cause poisoning. See CBD and drug tests, CBD and driving and pet safety.

What about contaminants?

The 2024 study of 202 products also tested for heavy metals, residual solvents and pesticides:³

• Heavy metals were found in 44 products. Lead was the most common, and it was the only metal to exceed regulatory thresholds, in five products (four tinctures and one gummy).
• Residual solvents were detected in 181 products. Hexane, xylenes and methanol were found at the highest concentrations.
• Pesticides were found in 30 products (26 different pesticides out of 232 tested for).
• Overall, about 3% of heavy metal results, 1% of solvent results and 1% of pesticide results exceeded a regulatory threshold.

So detectable residues were very common, and results above a safety threshold were uncommon but real.

A separate analysis notes that unregulated “CBD” products have also been found to contain synthetic cannabinoids and other drugs.⁶

What is different about Australian prescription products?

Every medicinal cannabis product lawfully supplied in Australia must comply with the standard TGO 93.⁷ It requires:⁸

• Content within limits. Each active ingredient must be within 90% to 110% of the labelled amount, or 80% to 120% for herbal products such as dried flower.
• Contaminant limits. Limits apply to heavy metals, pesticides, aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, foreign matter and microbes.
• No adulteration. Nothing may be added or substituted that is not part of the formulation.
• Good Manufacturing Practice. For products released since 1 July 2023, manufacturing must meet GMP, with evidence for overseas sites.
• Child-resistant packaging and full labelling, including a batch number and expiry date.

What testing has found. The TGA’s laboratory tested 22 high-volume cannabis products being supplied under the Special Access Scheme against TGO 93. Results were mostly close to the label, with examples of 88.3%, 110.1% and 111.2% of the stated CBD content. A later survey found that 20 of 21 products met requirements.⁹

That is a much better picture than the overseas studies. It is not a guarantee: one of the 21 products in the later survey did not meet requirements.

What are the gaps in the Australian system?

The TGA set these out itself in its 2025 review of unapproved cannabis medicines:⁷

• Unapproved products are not assessed before supply. More than 99% of the cannabis products prescribed in Australia are unapproved. The TGA says such products “have not been assessed by us for safety, quality or effectiveness”.¹⁰
• Not every product is tested. The TGA “applies a risk-based approach to determine which products are tested”.
• Sponsors of unapproved goods have lighter duties. They “are not automatically required to provide samples at the TGA’s request”, and are not required to report adverse events unless they are also the prescriber.
• Labels can be confusing. Stakeholders reported “conflicting and inconsistent information on medicinal cannabis product labels”.
• Devices are not covered. TGO 93 does not apply to vaping devices, which the TGA calls “a potential safety gap”.
• Overseas manufacturing relies on the sponsor. Sponsors of imported products are responsible for assessing GMP compliance.

In the latest TGA documents we could find (mid-2026), the review was still under way and no reform had been decided. See how the TGA regulates CBD and quality standards for Australian CBD products.

What about products sold outside the pharmacy system?

Anything sold as CBD in Australia without a prescription, whether from a website, a market stall or an overseas seller, is outside the system described above. Nobody has checked it against TGO 93.

Australian evidence here is thin. A 2017 news report described testing of 14 unlicensed “cannabis oils” in which 7 contained no CBD and one contained up to 47% THC. The laboratory was not named and the work was not peer reviewed, so treat it as an illustration and not as a measured rate.¹¹

Official warnings point the same way. The Office of Drug Control has warned that overseas companies were illegally exporting CBD and hemp products to Australians and that such imports will be seized at the border.¹² Sport Integrity Australia tells athletes to treat CBD “like a supplement risk” because of contamination, and says no batch-tested CBD product in Australia meets its threshold to be considered low risk.¹³

See buying CBD online and importing CBD.

How can you reduce the risk?

• Know what the standard covers. Only products prescribed and dispensed through an Australian pharmacy must comply with TGO 93. See quality standards for Australian CBD products.
• Read the label. Look for a sponsor, a batch number, an expiry date, and CBD and THC amounts. See how to read a CBD label.
• Ask about batch testing. See how to read a certificate of analysis.
• Ask about THC directly if you drive, are drug tested or compete in sport.
• Be wary of health claims. Advertising medicinal cannabis to the public is prohibited in Australia.¹⁴ A seller making claims is already ignoring one rule.
• Report problems. If you have a side effect or think a product is faulty, tell your prescriber or pharmacist. Prescribers must report adverse events to the TGA.¹⁵

This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. Laws and evidence change; we show the date we last checked the facts at the top of every page. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

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