Products made from hemp oil are flourishing after President Donald Trump signed the Farm Bill into law in December.
The oil is cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD.
CBD doesn't provide the high caused by its marijuana-derived cousin THC, but CBD products are now being widely marketed as elixirs for pain management, improved sleep and calming strained nerves.
Some of those products can now be found at Port of Mocha coffee shops on Guam, including "Premium CBD lollipops" under the brand name Jolly Bombs. They promise "complete relaxation." CBD Gummies "enhanced with melatonin" claim to make you "fall asleep faster" and "stay asleep longer." A drink called Max Chill is billed as a shot of pure organic CBD that provides "pain and stress relief."
CBD-infused lattes are also on the menu.
"Want the medical benefits of cannabis without the high? CBD infused lattes are here" reads the come-on. "A jolt of coffee with the calming of CBD."
Port of Mocha President Sanjay Dewan said they're perfectly safe for consumption and legal to sell.
"This is hemp-derived CBD, which is legal," Dewan said.
CBD may be legal, but the health claims are disputed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb issued a statement April 2, saying, "The FDA requires a cannabis product (hemp-derived or otherwise) that's marketed with a claim of therapeutic benefit to be approved by the FDA for its intended use before it may be introduced into interstate commerce."
On shelves before recreational pot law
Dewan said he began selling these products last month, before the passage of the recreational marijuana bill. He acknowledged that he did not check with the Department of Public Health and Social Services or Office of the Attorney General before putting the products on his shelves for sale.
When asked about the legality of the health claims made by many CBD products, Tom Nadeau, the chief environmental public health officer for the Division of Environmental Health at the Department of Public Health and Social Services, said, "With the recent de-scheduling of hemp (and thus its derivatives) in the federal Controlled Substances Act, we are in uncharted territory when it comes to its marketing, such as CBD. This requires further internal discussion and review. We ask for your patience."
Carlina Charfauros, spokeswoman for the Guam attorney general's office, said there are "laws and regulations such as the (FDA's) that need to be considered."
And she referred to Attorney General Leevin Camacho's remarks on Friday, when he said "there are gray areas" in the law surrounding cannabis products that still need to be addressed.
"We are looking to other jurisdictions to assist us," Charfauros said.
Disclaimer: Not a cure
Dewan said his products carry an FDA disclaimer on the back that states: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease."
He pointed out that the products are manufactured in the U.S. mainland and they have been widely sold throughout the states since hemp was removed from the Controlled Substances Act and became legal with the passage of the Farm Bill.
In his statement, Gottlieb notes that "the availability of CBD products in particular has increased dramatically" and "questions remain regarding the safety considerations raised by their widespread use."
He said the FDA is forming "a high-level internal agency working group to explore potential" regulations for "dietary supplements and/or conventional foods containing CBD to be lawfully marketed."
Dewan said he has seen customers come back for "repeated purchases" because the CBD products he sells "help them with anxiety issues, sleep, disorder issues" and other ailments.
"There is no high from this," said Dewan. "If someone's looking for a high, they're going to be disappointed. But the relaxation properties are there and I have experienced myself."
The products are available only to people over the age of 18, and "we require an I.D.," Dewan said.
"We want to abide by the law," he said.
