Fairbanks

Fairbanks North Star Borough to remove CBD ads on buses

FAIRBANKS — Advertisements for a cannabinoid commonly called CBD were mistakenly posted on public buses, said a Fairbanks North Star Borough official.

The local store’s ads are being removed from the buses, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported. The ads from Aurora Apothecary should not have been accepted, said borough transportation director Glenn Miller.

The borough rejects potentially controversial advertisements, Miller said. The borough does not accept ads that involve cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, politics or adult themes for borough buses, which are federally subsidized.

“It’s not worth a lot of complaints,” Miller said.

Miller said, however, that no one has complained about the CBD ads.

CBD is credited with easing multiple health problems — a claim lacking scientific evidence. CBD is a non-intoxicating cannabis extract, unlike tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the marijuana chemical that gets people high.

Kemp Lankford, who owns Aurora Apothecary, said the borough returned his money. But he said he’s disappointed and believes many people misunderstand CBD, which is derived from industrial hemp.

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His store, located on Second Avenue, sells CBD-infused products like ointment, candy and dog treats.

“Am I a doctor? No,” Lankford said. “Do I sell snake oil? No. It’s very effective. It works for me.”

President Donald Trump signed a bill into law in December that removed hemp from the federal controlled-substances list.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, however, released a statement expressing its concern about the unproven medical claims about CBD.

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