The Alaska Department of Law on Thursday warned consumers to be wary of unregulated CBD products now appearing for sale across the state.
Products containing cannabidiol (known as CBD) oil and extracts “are being widely sold throughout Alaska but are unregulated and untested in the state at this time,” the department said in an emailed statement.
The state Department of Natural Resources is in the process of creating an industrial hemp pilot program to research the growth and marketing of industrial hemp, but there aren’t any registered growers or processors yet in Alaska, the statement said.
CBD is a derivative of industrial hemp, and also can be derived from marijuana. CBD is different from THC, the intoxicating compound in marijuana.
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There are retailers across Anchorage and around Alaska that sell products marketed as containing CBD, including lotions, edibles such as gummy bears and pet treats. The items have appeared at coffee shops, gas stations and other retailers.
“These products have not been tested for purity or THC content,” the law department said. “Claims relating to the benefits or effects of the CBD oil and products in providing a variety of health or wellness benefits may not have been evaluated by any state or federal agency, including the FDA.”
Alaskans should be careful about what they ingest, assistant attorney general Cindy Franklin said in the statement.
“Currently, these products are not an FDA approved food source,” she said, "and a large portion of these products may contain THC in unknown amounts.”
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