In a significant move, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC or
Commission) announced on December 17, 2020, that it had taken its
first ever law enforcement crackdown on companies for deceptively
marketing cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) products.
Nicknamed Operation CBDeceit, the crackdown
resulted in lawsuits being filed against six companies and their owners for making
unsubstantiated health claims about the ability of their
CBD-containing products (lozenges, gummies, vape pens, honey
sticks, oils, etc.) to treat serious health conditions such as
Alzheimer's disease, cancer, chronic pain, diabetes, and
glaucoma, among others.
FTC, which is authorized to enforce the prohibition of the
dissemination of misleading claims for certain categories of
products, requires truth in advertising. This means that all
claims made by a company in their promotion or marketing of food,
drug, device, or cosmetic products must be truthful and
non-deceptive, advertisers
