420 with CNW — U.S. Border Patrol Agents Caution
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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency is warning its workers and their family members to say no to CBD. CBD (cannabidiol) is one of the two primary compounds found in marijuana. However, unlike THC, which induces a high when ingested, CBD does not.
In a recently published advisory, the agency highlighted some issues associated with this compound, highlighting that CBD products were still unregulated and could contain THC that can be detectable using a drug test.
It should be noted that the agency isn’t forbidding its workers from using CBD products derived from hemp, because the substance was legalized federally following the 2018 Farm Bill’s approval. However, the agency does strongly urge its agents to abstain from their use as a form of precaution.
In its advisory, the agency stated that its drug-free workplace plan mandated drug testing, which applied to all federal civilian employees. A positive drug test may result in disciplinary action and in extreme cases, removal from service. The advisory also observed that while some states had legalized the use of cannabis, THC and marijuana were still prohibited substances federally.
Currently, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act. This is despite the fact that the recreational use of marijuana is legal in 22 states and Washington, D.C., while the medical use of the drug is legal in 38 states and the nation’s capital.
The federal agency elaborated on the warning, giving examples of research showing CBD products were sometimes mislabeled.
Given that the FDA is yet to establish regulations for these products, it is expected that the issue will persist. Earlier this year, the FDA announced that congressional action was needed to allow CBD be marketed as a dietary supplement or in food.
The recent advisory by Customs and Border Protection comes after the human resources division at the U.S. Forest Service posted a notice in 2022 that also warned its employees about the risks of consuming CBD products that were federally unregulated.
Meanwhile, other federal agencies are reviewing their drug testing and employment policies, both for applicants and workers, amid the state-level legalization movement. Recently, the Secret Service relaxed restrictions on previous use of cannabis by prospective agents. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also recently updated its employment policy to not automatically disqualify applicants who had cultivated, manufactured or sold cannabis in compliance with state laws.
The warning by the border patrol agency clearly indicates that personnel should refrain from using cannabis-derived substances that aren’t federally regulated. This means that the products which companies such as IGC Pharma Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) take through the clinical-development process and obtain FDA approval wouldn’t be included in any advisory that federal agencies send to their employees.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to IGC Pharma Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/IGC
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