Two major developments in CBD quality and safety have come out this week. Here’s what you need to know.
The Federal Trade Commission has stayed busy in recent weeks cracking down on a string of companies’ fraudulent claims that their CBD products can cure the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
In related news, a recent Canadian study has repeatedly been used to claim CBD can cure COVID-19, but the study itself and new reporting
FDA, FTC clamp down on fraudsters
According to recent reports, the FTC has received nearly 50,000 reports of fraudulent activity by companies that allegedly claim their CBD products can treat or cure COVID-19.
A representative of the agency told Fox News the total damages from the fraud may reach higher than $35 million. [2]
“Deceptive marketing is never acceptable, especially during a time of crisis; this is a matter of public health and safety. My office will continue to root out companies that attempt to illegally profit from this pandemic,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
FTC fraud prosecutions aren’t the only actions being taken against bad CBD information.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently instituted a recall on mislabeled CBD from Biota Biosciences, according to reporting from the International Business Times. [1]
Biota’s products were unapproved injectable drugs derived from CBD that the company claimed could treat pain and ease detox symptoms. [1]
Study investigates CBD’s effects on COVID
Recently, many online were claiming a study from Canada’s University of Lethbridge showed smoking marijuana or taking CBD could stop someone from contracting COVID-19.
This is not what the study actually revealed, as reporting from KARE 11’s VERIFY team shows.
According to their reporting, the researchers were making much less ambitious claims about specific CBD compounds.
The team of researchers used strains of CBD for their anti-inflammatory effects, hoping this would make lung tissue less susceptible to the coronavirus.
“We do know 13 strains of extract that do what we think they're supposed to do, but they will have to be tested more,” University of Lethbridge Professor Olka Kovalchuk told KARE 11. “I don't want people to jump and say 'oh yeah, let's just go grab anything and have this false sense of protection,' No. This is a first stepping stone to a trial that will be very important to prove it.”
Be on the lookout for scams and oversimplifications in this time of uncertainty and fear. Keep an eye on the Nothing But Hemp blog for the latest updates!
Sources
[1] https://www.ibtimes.com/cbd-recall-2020-unapproved-cbd-products-recalled-fda-2980211
[2] https://www.foxnews.com/health/coronavirus-cbd-scams-cannabis
[3] https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202004.0315/v1
