Page 6 - Cannabis News Florida October 2019

Back Cover Story: Knowing the Facts: Key to Vaping Safety

Continued from Back Page putting a QR code on its labels, so that for products going into the market- ing to see something definitive in the
severe respiratory illness. Left unattended, customers could read the test results place,” Cowart said, adding that this first or second quarter of 2020.
it can lead to even more serious outcomes, themselves and verify that what they might knock out some of the more wor- In the meantime, Blue Moon contin-
including death. were consuming was what was on the risome “mom and pop” operations that ues to expand both its product line,
“It’s important that people understand label and in the bottle. can’t afford the cost of compliance. experimenting with a full-spectrum dis-
what they’re buying for their own safety,” “When we started in 2015, there were “You need to know where a company tillate, and debuting a beauty and skin
said Cowart, who adds that his interest in only half a dozen CBD companies out is sourcing its CBD, and whether that’s care line. The company is also continu-
educating the public isn’t just for profes- there, and we figured it out as we went,” domestic or foreign,” he added. “There is ing its foray into retail, establishing mall
sional reasons. “This issue is very personal Cowart said of what was then a dense good foreign CBD, but I don’t trust kiosks and experimenting with vending
to me; two sisters who live in my condo regulatory landscape. “The industry has China or India at this point. You also machines that require age verification.
complex vacationed in Mexico, and the exploded since; there are now at least have to have third-party testing and “We believe that CBD will continue its
younger sister bought a black-market 1,600 CBD and CBD-related companies information on the label in terms of upward trajectory because the efficacy of
THC cartridge. She vaped and got sick, out there. potency, and to know that there are no the product drives its success,” he said.
and she died five days later.” “The people getting in now are buying heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, or “People are discarding other medications
Cowart says that the most important products and reselling them from who other toxic materials used. You want to and supplements in favor of CBD,
thing that buyers can do is to know what knows where?” he added. know what you’re putting in your body.” because once they try it, they continue
they’re buying, and that their products As a responsible seller, Cowart While a public comment period did to use it. It puts the body into homeosta-
come from reputable sources. “All of our believes that there needs to be more reg- take place this summer in Washington, it sis, and any time the body is in balance,
products are plant-based, non-GMO, ulation in the industry, which should generally takes between 18 and 36 it is a good thing.”
and organic when we can, and every- include seed to store traceability, GRS months for the FDA to come up with
thing is third-party tested,” he said, (generally recognized as safe ingredi- regulatory guidelines. “From what I To learn more, visit
adding that none of Blue Moon’s prod- ents), truth in labeling, third-party test- understand, there is real pressure being www.bluemoonhemp.com. Sister site
ucts contain tobacco or nicotine. “We’ve ing, and the requirement that CBD sell- applied to come up with this outline www.swissrelief.com also has
sold more than 1 million products with- ers not make medical claims. more quickly; I don’t think the legisla- same-sourced CBD items not
out a single incident.” “We welcome reasonable FDA regula- tive piece will take two years,” said available in the Blue Moon Hemp line.
Blue Moon Hemp was a pioneer in tion that would create a safety network Cowart, adding that Blue Moon is hop-

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