Companies Selling Edible CBD Products Need to Back Up Marketing Claims, FTC Warns

The Federal Trade Commission recently warned three companies selling nonedible and edible CBD products alike that they would have to back up several of the rather extreme marketing claims they were making, according to Fox News.

The FTC reportedly warned these companies via letter that they would have to review the claims they were making about their CBD products, review their consumer testimonials, and then provide valid scientific research that would back up these claims.

For instance, one of the companies claimed that their CBD oil and other products work like “magic” to relieve severe pain, the FTC said. That company actually claims that CBD has been clinically proven to treat several major diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis, the agency said.

Another company the FTC sent the warning letter to made other extreme claims: that CBD products can treat things like autism, anorexia, cancer, and AIDS, the FTC noted. The third company included in the warning promoted their gummy edible CBD products as being able to treat most degenerative diseases. The make other claims about their CBD oil products: that it may treat PTSD, depression, epilepsy, and more.

CBD (cannabidiol) is a component of medical marijuana and is derived from the hemp plant. CBD itself doesn’t lead to a “high” as marijuana does. Marijuana’s most active ingredient is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which causes the distinctive high feeling reported by users. CBD oil products cannot legally have more than 0.3 percent THC.

CBD products are growing more and more popular, and are being marketed as a wellness product—in lattes, spa facials, hemp oils, and gummies, among others. But some companies are making extreme claims about what their CBD products are capable of doing for their users.

“Making these wild claims on these products, on the CBD products they’re selling such as, ‘It cures cancer,’ that’s kind of the number one way to get the attention of both of those federal agencies,” said Justin Swanson, Midwest Hemp Council President, referring to the FTC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Greg Kruger, the chief operating officer for DREEM Nutrition based in Russiaville, Indiana, noted that making extreme product claims is irresponsible and illegal. “As far as product claims, DREEM Nutrition does not make product claims,” said Kruger.

“We actually tell our customers to avoid any companies that make product claims because in order to make a product claim, even to specifically give a starting dosage amount, you have to have clinical data that supports that,” he said.

Indeed, so far, epilepsy treatment is the only medical condition for which CBD has been found to have significant evidence supporting its viability.

A number of companies are reportedly being investigated for making false claims about their CBD products, including the following:

• Avid Hemp Gummies
• Freedom Wellness
• Heady Harvest Gummies
• Puur CBD Vape Cartridge

A full list of the companies being investigated can be found on our investigation page.

If you purchased CBD products from these or other companies, you may have been affected by false claims as to the amount of its active ingredient included in the product or about the effectiveness of the product for treating certain medical problems. You may be able to join this class action lawsuit investigation.

Join a Free CBD Supplements Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you purchased a CBD supplement, it may have contained far less of the active ingredient that you were led to believe, and you may qualify to join this CBD supplement class action lawsuit investigation.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.