Hold the CBD and Pass the Gravy
/By Pat Anson, PNN Editor
You can now buy cannabis-infused juice, beer, popcorn, gummies, breakfast cereal, and just about every food and drink imaginable with CBD or even THC.
But you know things are getting out of hand when a company starts selling cannabis-infused turkey gravy – just in time for Thanksgiving.
KIVA Confections – a California company that makes a line of cannabis chocolates and edibles -- has introduced a “groundbreaking” turkey gravy infused with 10mg of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. Thanksgiving dinner will never be quite the same.
“Awkward family dinner conversation? In just under 15 minutes you’ll start feeling the effects, so you can sit back, relax, and let the holiday cheer wash over you,” said Kiva in a tongue-in-cheek blog post
The company plans to introduce a cannabis-infused hot cocoa mix by Christmas.
KIVA CONFECTIONS
FDA Warns CBD Companies
Federal health officials are finally blowing the whistle on cannabis marketing. The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to 15 companies for illegally selling and marketing cannabis infused products.
Ironically, the FDA’s focus is not on THC, but on cannabidiol (CBD), the seemingly harmless and over-hyped compound in cannabis associated with many health claims. The FDA has revised a Consumer Update to more clearly state that CBD is not recognized as safe for use in human or animal food.
“We remain concerned that some people wrongly think that the myriad of CBD products on the market, many of which are illegal, have been evaluated by the FDA and determined to be safe, or that trying CBD ‘can’t hurt.’ Aside from one prescription drug approved to treat two pediatric epilepsy disorders, these products have not been approved by the FDA,” Amy Abernethy, MD, FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner, said in a statement.
“We recognize the significant public interest in CBD and we must work together with stakeholders and industry to fill in the knowledge gaps about the science, safety and quality of many of these products.”
What most concerns the FDA is that CBD is being marketed as a treatment for chronic pain, arthritis, depression, addiction, anxiety and other medical conditions with no clinical evidence that it actually works.
Red Pill Medical of Phoenix, one of the companies that received a warning letter, claims CBD can cure cancer.
“We’ve seen CBD kill prostate cancer cells, kill colon cancer cells…there’s just thousands of anecdotal stories on the internet where people have cured themselves when they were told they had weeks or months to live using CBD,” Red Pill claims in a promotional video.
Another company, Whole Leaf Organics of Los Angeles, was warned about selling CBD products for pets.
“Beneficial and safe for both people and animals, CBD has been known to reduce inflammation, assist with chronic fatigue, alleviate joint and muscle pain, and help in regards to the management of stress and anxiety,” Whole Leaf claims on its website.
One company was warned about marketing CBD products for infants and children, while another was warned about selling CBD for food-producing animals such as chickens and cows.
This isn’t the first time the FDA has warned cannabis companies to be more discerning in their marketing. Similar warning letters were sent in March to three companies for making unsubstantiated health claims about their CBD oils, extracts and edibles.
One of the companies, NutraPure, now has a disclaimer on its website stating that its products “have not been evaluated” by the FDA and “are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease.” As PNN reported, however, that didn’t stop a NutraPure representative from recommending the company’s hemp oil to this reporter as a treatment for fibromyalgia.
The FDA says it will “explore potential pathways” for CBD products to be marketed legally and would be providing an update in coming weeks.
In the meantime, pass the gravy.
