Chilean health authority warns of ‘counterfeit’ cannabis medicines

ISP warns about the marketing of products that claim to contain Cannabidiol

08/18/2020

The Chilean Public Health Institute (ISP) detected the sale  on different websites  of products that claim to contain “CBD or Cannabidiol” in the following presentations: creams, gum, lip balm, gummies and body oils.

The Health Control Regime Unit of the ISP, subjected this active ingredient CBD or Cannabidiol to a rigorous inspection and regarding its therapeutic properties (analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, among others), therefore, it was determined that they must have a registry Mandatory health system granted by this health authority in order to be marketed.

The active principle CBD or Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, present in the flowering tops and in the leaves of the Cannabis plant, it is not the same as the seeds of this plant that contain fatty acids of the linoleic-linolenic type. This oil that is extracted from the seeds is classified as food according to Supreme Decree No. 977/1996.

For this reason, the head (s) of the ISP’s National Drug Agency Department, Juan Roldán, stressed the importance of the health registry “any product that claims to be composed of CBD and that currently does not have a health registry granted by this Institute corresponds to a counterfeit pharmaceutical product and its quality, safety and efficacy cannot be guaranteed to the population ”.

The ISP recommends the following measures to the public:

–  If you are consuming any product with the purpose of preventing, diagnosing, attenuating, treating or curing any disease, make sure that this product has a health record, otherwise immediately suspend its consumption and consult your doctor.

–  Acquire medicines only in authorized establishments, such as pharmacies, and respecting their condition of sale (direct, medical prescription, withheld prescription, check prescription).

–  Due to the risks that these products present to health, if you do not have a sanitary registration, you can make a report at the ISP indicating the place of sale through a notification form for drugs suspected of being falsified, at www.ispch. cl / anamed_ / falsified_medicines  . Subsequently  , it must be presented at the Institute’s paperwork management office at Av. Marathon 1.000 Ñuñoa, Santiago from 08:30 to 14:00 hrs.

–  You can also send the form through the following email: falsificados@ispch.cl

 –  It is important to inform that these counterfeit products do not have the content of their ingredients declared on their labeling and may have compounds that are harmful to health.

–  Most of these products without sanitary registration are offered on the Internet in unauthorized sites or are promoted as nutritional supplements in the media. We reiterate that you should not consume products that offer healing properties without having the ISP’s sanitary registration, which you can review on the Institute’s website.