ANCHORAGE (AP) — Products containing cannabidiol have been offered in stores and coffee shops in Alaska, but CBD oil has not been approved to be used in food, drinks or edibles, state regulators said.
Regulations governing CBD items are still being written, and the state has been warning residents to be cautious about what they ingest, the Anchorage Daily News reported Wednesday.
Uncle Leroy’s Coffee shop in Anchorage had offered costumers doses of CBD oil in their coffee, but the shop pulled it from the menu after the owners received a warning letter from the state.
“People still ask if we have it,” said Austin Schwartz, an owner of Uncle Leroy’s. “So I think there is a desire. I mean, there are a group of people out there that want it.”
CBD products such as bags of gummy bears and vaping pens are still displayed at gas stations and other shops as the legality of the products get sorted out, causing confusion for customers and retailers.
The state Division of Agriculture oversees all industrial hemp products, which includes CBD oil.
The industrial hemp bill that passed earlier this year put the state in the position to create a pilot program to regulate, but rules are not yet in place, division director Arthur Keyes said.
“Until those regulations are created, that umbrella doesn’t exist,” Keyes said.
The state does not have enough enforcement resources, so shops are still selling CBD products, said Rob Carter, manager of the Alaska Plant Materials Center.
“(CBD) is at gas stations and health food stores and coffee shops and pet food stores,” Carter said. “We’ve decided it’s in the best interest of the industry, and to protect the consumer, to get our framework in place, and then get people into compliance with these regulations.”
• Associated Press
