Buyers should take precautions when purchasing CBD products, and ensure that they come from a licensed producer that follows Health Canada regulations
Kyla Ford, daughter of Premier of Ontario Doug Ford, made headlines this week when she was spotted promoting illegal cannabis products on her Instagram account.
“I’m staying warm & cozy inside with my soup that I have added @bodhi.naturals CBD hemp oil to,” says Ford in an Instagram post accompanied by a picture of herself holding a small bottle of cannabis oil. Ford also posted an accompanying video in which she demonstrated how to use the oil and a discount code for her followers on Bodhi Naturals products.
Ford’s Instagram account went temporarily offline Tuesday after Huffington Post requested comment on the promotion, although it was reinstated hours later. The Bodhi Naturals posts, however, were deleted by the evening.
According to the Canadian government, hemp-based CBD products are not legal in Canada unless they come from a licensed producer—despite the proliferation of social media users hawking CBD products from companies like Bodhi Naturals and Hempworx.
Much confusion is likely derived from the companies’ differentiation between hemp-derived and cannabis-derived CBD; CBD molecules, whether hemp-derived or otherwise, are the same. CBD, or cannabidiol, is used for the treatment of conditions like pain, inflammation, and anxiety—and while it is psychoactive, it does not provide the “high” of a THC product.
