Who Is Medterra? A Brand File on the Mass-Retail CBD Brand
A big, NSF-certified, US-Hemp-Authority CBD brand you'll find in CVS and Kroger, with QR-batch COAs and a strong customer rating. The asterisks: a 'F' BBB rating, labs it doesn't clearly name, a panel that skips herbicide testing, and a merger that hasn't actually closed.
By The Kind Buds Desk · 10 min read · Updated 2026-06-29
Kind Buds Brand Transparency Score
A mass-retail CBD brand with real credentials — NSF GMP, US Hemp Authority, QR-batch COAs, Kentucky hemp, and a strong Trustpilot — pulled to a mid-C by a 'F' BBB rating, testing labs it doesn't clearly name, a panel that openly skips glyphosate, and a still-unclosed merger.
An opinion grade from our transparent 6-pillar methodology, built on publicly sourced facts.
COAs with QR + batch lookup and US Hemp Authority certification — but the testing labs aren't clearly named on-site, and Medterra by its own statement does not test for glyphosate/herbicides, so the panel isn't fully complete.
An independent credential: an NSF International GMP-certified facility — though the specific facility isn't named and FDA registration isn't disclosed.
Non-GMO Kentucky hemp with isolate/broad/full-spectrum options disclosed — but it's not USDA-certified organic, and it uses an 'organic practices' rationale to justify skipping herbicide testing.
Private, with named founders and disclosed VC backers; a proposed merger with public Splash Beverage Group is filed and pending — but it's a non-binding LOI that has not closed.
A real Irvine, CA operation (roughly 60–90 employees by estimate) with named leadership history, though the current (2026) CEO isn't clearly confirmed.
Strong positives — a ~4-star Trustpilot, NSF and US Hemp Authority certs, and huge mainstream retail (CVS, Kroger, Walgreens), with no FDA letter or recall found — offset by a 'F' BBB rating for unanswered complaints.
Medterra is one of the CBD brands most likely to be sitting on a shelf near you — it's pushed hard into mainstream retail (CVS, Kroger, Walgreens) and built a big, value-to-midrange catalog of oils, gummies, topicals, sleep, and pet products out of Irvine, California since 2017. We ran it through our six-pillar Brand Transparency Score and it lands at a C (66/100).
It has genuine credentials — an NSF-certified GMP facility, US Hemp Authority certification, QR-batch COAs, Kentucky-grown hemp, and a strong customer rating. But the gaps are specific and worth knowing: it carries a 'F' rating at the BBB (not the 'A+' some affiliate blogs claim), it doesn't clearly name its testing labs, it openly doesn't test for herbicides, and a widely-reported merger with a public beverage company hasn't actually closed. Here's the receipts-first reality, with those myths corrected.
The short version
- Our grade: C (66/100). Real certifications and mass-retail reach, with several concrete asterisks.
- Genuine credentials. NSF International GMP-certified facility, US Hemp Authority certification, QR-batch COAs, and non-GMO Kentucky hemp.
- The BBB myth, corrected. Medterra's live BBB rating is 'F' (advertising issues + failure to respond to 5 complaints), and it's not accredited — not the 'A+' that affiliate review blogs claim.
- It skips a test. By its own statement, Medterra does not test for glyphosate/herbicides (citing 'organic practices'), and it doesn't clearly name its testing labs on-site — so the panel and lab aren't fully verifiable.
- The merger hasn't closed. A proposed merger with public Splash Beverage Group (NYSE: SBEV) is a non-binding letter of intent, not a completed deal — and the would-be acquirer is itself under a stock-exchange compliance notice.
| What the public record shows | |
|---|---|
| Legal entity | Medterra CBD, LLC (California) |
| Founded | 2017, Irvine, California |
| Founders | Jay Hartenbach & JP Larsen |
| Ownership | Private; proposed Splash Beverage merger pending (not closed) |
| Manufacturing | NSF GMP-certified facility (not named) |
| Lab testing | QR-batch COAs; US Hemp Authority; labs not clearly named; no herbicide test |
| Hemp source | Non-GMO, Kentucky; not certified organic |
| BBB rating | F (not accredited; 5 unanswered complaints) |
| Trustpilot | ~4 stars |
| FDA / recalls | None found |
Medterra at a glance — the verified facts
The short version
Medterra is a credentialed, mass-retail CBD brand with a few honest holes. Its NSF GMP certification, US Hemp Authority seal, QR-batch COAs, and strong customer rating are the substance our score rewards, and its reach into CVS, Kroger, and Walgreens is real. But a 'F' BBB rating, unnamed testing labs, an openly incomplete test panel, and a not-yet-closed merger keep it in the middle of the pack.
We'll separate sourced fact from marketing and correct two things that get reported wrong about this brand — its BBB grade and its ownership status.
Who's behind it? (Named — with two corrections)
Medterra is operated by Medterra CBD, LLC, a California company based in Irvine, founded in 2017 by Jay Hartenbach and JP Larsen (Hartenbach was the original CEO; Gregory Reeder, an ex-Pfizer wellness executive, was named CEO in 2021). Two corrections worth making: a name sometimes floated as a founder ("J. Salter") has no support — the founders are Hartenbach and Larsen — and we couldn't firmly confirm who holds the CEO title in 2026, so we don't assert it.
Lab testing — certified, but with gaps
Medterra does the basics and holds a real industry certification, with two specific shortfalls:
- QR-batch COAs + US Hemp Authority. Each product links to a batch-specific COA page (with a QR code on packaging), and the brand is US Hemp Authority certified — genuine, verifiable credentials.
- But the labs aren't clearly named. The specific testing labs (ProVerde, Green Scientific, and others appear in secondary sources) aren't consistently identified on Medterra's own COA page — so you can't easily judge them first-party.
- And it skips herbicide testing. By Medterra's own statement, it does not test for glyphosate/herbicides, justifying the omission with "organic farming practices." That's a real gap — "we grow clean so we don't test for it" is an assertion, not a result.
So the testing is certified and batch-accessible, but not as complete or as lab-transparent as the top-tier brands (like CBDistillery, which names its labs).
Manufacturing and sourcing
On manufacturing, Medterra carries a strong, independent credential: an NSF International GMP-certified facility (NSF inspects onsite) — better than a self-asserted "cGMP" claim — though the specific facility isn't named and FDA registration isn't disclosed. On sourcing, it discloses non-GMO, Kentucky-grown hemp and offers isolate (0% THC), broad-spectrum, and full-spectrum options. The caveats: it is not USDA-certified organic (the "organic practices" language is the same rationale it uses to skip herbicide testing), and it names no specific farms. Solid where certified; thinner on provenance.
The record: well-liked, widely stocked — and an F at the BBB
Medterra's record is a real mix:
- The positives. A ~4-star Trustpilot across many reviews (praise for sleep and pain products), NSF and US Hemp Authority certifications, and a large mainstream retail footprint (reported 14,000+ locations including CVS, Kroger, Walgreens). We found no FDA warning letter, recall, or lawsuit naming Medterra.
- The 'F' at the BBB. Despite affiliate blogs claiming an "A+," Medterra's live BBB profile shows a 'F' rating, not accredited, citing advertising issues and a failure to respond to 5 complaints. Unanswered complaints are themselves an accountability signal, and we weight the primary BBB record over the affiliate claims.
So: genuinely popular and widely available, with real certifications — but a customer-service/complaint-response record that the BBB grades harshly.
The bottom line
In our view, Medterra is a credentialed, mainstream CBD brand that's better than its BBB grade but short of the top tier. The NSF and US Hemp Authority certifications, QR-batch COAs, and strong customer rating are real, and its retail reach makes it easy to buy. But you can't fully verify its testing (unnamed labs, no herbicide panel), its BBB record reflects unanswered complaints, and its headline "ownership change" hasn't actually happened. That mix is a fair mid-C.
If you buy Medterra, scan the QR for your batch's COA (and note that it won't include herbicide results), and read "organic" as a practices claim, not a certification. There are CBD brands graded higher here that name their labs and test more completely. A C (66/100). The full methodology shows every point; naming its labs, completing its panel, and resolving its BBB complaints would lift it (see the notice below).
Questions, answered
Is Medterra legit?
Yes — it's an established, widely-stocked CBD brand (Medterra CBD, LLC, Irvine, CA, founded 2017) with real credentials: an NSF GMP-certified facility, US Hemp Authority certification, QR-batch COAs, Kentucky-grown hemp, a ~4-star Trustpilot, and distribution in CVS, Kroger, and Walgreens. We grade it a C (66/100). The drags: its live BBB rating is actually 'F' (not the 'A+' some blogs claim) for unanswered complaints, it doesn't clearly name its testing labs, it openly doesn't test for herbicides/glyphosate, and a widely-reported Splash Beverage merger is a non-binding LOI that hasn't closed.
Who owns Medterra — was it acquired by Splash Beverage?
Not yet — and this is a common error. Medterra CBD, LLC is an independent private California company, founded in 2017 by Jay Hartenbach and JP Larsen, with named VC backers. A merger with the publicly traded Splash Beverage Group (NYSE American: SBEV) was announced — but it's a non-binding letter of intent that, as of the latest filings, had not closed, and the would-be acquirer was itself under a NYSE compliance notice (a financial-distress signal that puts the deal in doubt). So it's accurate to say a Splash merger is proposed/pending, not that Medterra 'is owned by' or 'was acquired by' Splash.
What is Medterra's BBB rating?
Despite affiliate review sites claiming an 'A+,' Medterra's live Better Business Bureau profile shows an 'F' rating, and it is not BBB-accredited — the BBB cites advertising issues and a failure to respond to 5 complaints. We weight the primary BBB record over the affiliate claims. That said, the 'F' is largely about unanswered complaints rather than product safety; Medterra also carries genuine third-party certifications (NSF GMP, US Hemp Authority) and a ~4-star Trustpilot, so the overall picture is mixed rather than alarming.
Are Medterra's lab tests trustworthy?
Partly. Medterra publishes batch-specific COAs you can reach via a QR code, and it's US Hemp Authority certified — both real. But there are two gaps: it doesn't clearly name its testing labs on its own COA page (lab names appear mainly in secondary sources), and by its own statement it does not test for glyphosate/herbicides, justifying the omission with 'organic farming practices.' That means the panel isn't fully complete and the lab isn't first-party verifiable. Scan your batch's COA, but know it won't include herbicide results — a brand that names its lab and runs a full panel offers stronger assurance.
Where is Medterra sold and what does it cost?
Medterra has one of the larger mainstream-retail footprints in CBD — reported in 14,000+ locations including CVS, Kroger, and Walgreens, plus its own site (medterracbd.com) and third-party retailers. Its catalog spans CBD oils/tinctures (500–3000mg), gummies, topicals, capsules, sleep, and pet products, plus some hemp-derived THC items, at value-to-midrange prices (roughly $0.03–$0.07 per mg of CBD). It offers isolate (0% THC), broad-spectrum, and full-spectrum formulations, so you can choose THC-free options — check the product's COA to confirm.
How did you research this, and is it fair to Medterra?
Every claim is from a public source — Medterra's own site and COA page, its NSF and US Hemp Authority certifications, the BBB and Trustpilot, SEC filings on the proposed Splash merger, and the FDA database. We credited the genuine strengths (NSF GMP, US Hemp Authority, QR-batch COAs, strong Trustpilot, mass retail) and corrected two widely-repeated errors: its BBB rating is 'F' (not 'A+'), and the Splash deal is a pending LOI (not a completed acquisition). We also noted, from Medterra's own statements, that it skips herbicide testing and doesn't clearly name its labs. The C reflects real credentials offset by those gaps. If Medterra names its labs, completes its panel, and resolves its BBB complaints, we'll update the file — see the notice at the foot of this page.