FDA issues warning about cannabis products used to treat diseases

Katie Shelor,

FILE - In this May 5, 2015, file photo, a marijuana plant grows at a Minnesota Medical Solutions greenhouse in Otsego, Minn. A southeastern Illinois company says it has started growing medical marijuana and may be the first in the state to do so. Officials at Ataraxia in the Edwards County city of Albion, Ill., said Monday, July 13, 2015 that they received state authorization July 10, and have started cultivating the genetic strains that will be the basis of their products. (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP)

(WRIC) — The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning that some cannabis oils and other products may not contain the ingredients found on the label, and may not help patients who use them to treat diseases.

In February, the FDA sent warning letters to 18 firms that market cannabis products. The FDA says some of the firms claim their products contain the chemical cannabidiol (CBD). However, the FDA tested those products, and some did not contain any CBD.

The FDA says it has not approved these products for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease, and consumers should be cautious about purchasing or using such products.

In Virginia, Governor Terry McAuliffe signed a bill in 2015, allowing patients to use cannabis oil to treat conditions like epilepsy. After the 2016 General Assembly session, a bill to allow that oil to be produced in Virginia is on the governor’s desk awaiting his signature.

Take a look at the companies that received warning letters from the FDA here.