On February 9, the FDA sent out a number of warning letters to companies that make and sell products containing cannabidiol (CBD), a type of cannabinoid found in marijuana. Some of the products that the FDA tested contained no CBD in them at all.
Even more troubling, many of the products claim to be treatments for serious diseases and suggest that patients go into remission once they take the CBD product. The FDA is concerned that patients may believe these claims and delay seeing a doctor and taking approved drugs with a proven track record.
“The FDA is in the business of regulating claims. The more claims you make the more scrutiny you’ll face,” said Seth Yakatan, Chief Executive Officer of Kalytera, a company that is creating a synthetic form of CBD.
“Many of these products are claiming in their marketing and promotional materials that they are intended for the use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of diseases, including, for example: cancer, various infections, psychiatric disorders, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and diabetes,” said Michael Felberbaum, a spokesman at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The companies claim that they are dietary supplements. However, claiming a product should be used to treat cancer means it is a drug and not a diet supplement and therefore, must go through the standard drug trials and testing phases. For example, GW Pharmaceuticals has two substantial clinical investigations regarding the use of CBD. The products are Sativex and Epidiolex and GW Pharmaceuticals has spent millions of dollars testing their drugs on patients.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: FDA Sends Warning Letters To Cannabis Companies Over False Claims
Author: Debra Borchardt
Contact: Forbes
Photo Credit: Carla K. Johnson
Website: Forbes
