FTC Warns Companies About Exaggerating CBD Supplement Benefits

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently warned three companies selling “oils, tinctures, capsules, gummies, and creams containing cannabidiol (CBD)” that marketing statements about CBD supplement benefits may be illegal.

The agency sent letters to three unnamed companies, warning that they may be making illegal claims without scientific evidence to back it up.

One of the websites allegedly claimed that its CBD products were “clinically proven” to treat conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, MS, fibromyalgia, addiction, and colitis. According to the FTC, the company bolstered the claims with citations of “thousands of hours of research” by “Harvard researchers.”

The second website made even wilder claims about CBD supplement benefits. The company allegedly claimed that CBD could treat autism, anorexia, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia, cancer, AIDS and more. This manufacturer reportedly touted CBD as a “miracle” remedy that could help with pain caused by cancer and arthritis.

The third and final website reportedly said that CBD gummies could treat “most major degenerative diseases, including arthritis, heart disease, fibromyalgia, cancer, asthma and a wide spectrum of autoimmune disorders.” The company reportedly made further claims that its CBD cream could treat arthritis pain, while its CBD oil could help treat depression, PTSD, epilepsy, heart disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia and asthma.

“The letters warn the companies, which the FTC is not identifying publicly, that it is illegal to advertise that a product can prevent, treat, or cure human disease without competent and reliable scientific evidence to support such claims,” the FTC said in a press release.

Each company that received a warning from the FTC has 15 days to respond. The responses must include any actions that have been taken to comply with FTC regulations.

In March, the FTC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent warning letters to three other CBD companies, Relievus, Nutra Pure LLC and PotNetwork Holdings Inc. Like the recently warned but unnamed companies, these manufacturers allegedly made wild claims which they backed up with bogus or nonexistent studies.

CBD (cannabidiol) is a very useful natural remedy with loads of anecdotal evidence to support its benefits. However, claims regarding CBD supplement benefits have not been scientifically tested and products have not been approved by the FDA as medical treatments, so the claims that manufacturers can make are limited.

The marketing of CBD supplements, oil, gummies, liquid, balm, and more can be further obscured by the uncertainty of what can be found in the products. Although some reputable vendors provide third party testing results to confirm the quality and potency of their products, consumers have claimed that some CBD products do not contain the advertised amount of the active ingredient.

In a class action lawsuit against manufacturer Just Brands, testing allegedly revealed that Just CBD Apple Rings Gummies contained “a non-detectable quantity of CBD” despite being advertised as containing 250 mg. The company’s Honey Liquid Tincture allegedly had similar results, containing just 48.92 mg of CBD per bottle despite advertising that the products contained 100 mg of CBD per bottle.

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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.