President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed in her morning press conference the possible sanctions that the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) could impose on Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico, due to an alert issued regarding the sale of products containing CBD. The company Paradise, of which Fox is a partner, was pointed out for using CBD in some of its medicinal products.
Sheinbaum stated that any company using substances not recognized by Cofepris would be subject to sanctions. For his part, Health Secretary David Kershenobich explained that Cofepris is working to clearly differentiate between the legal and medicinal uses of these substances, and that any product containing CBD poses a risk to public health.
Cofepris detailed that CBD, hemp extract, hemp oil, and tetrahydrocannabinol THC, along with other cannabis derivatives, should not be used in the production of food, supplements, cosmetics, or beverages, according to the regulations of the General Health Law.
Paradise, the company in question, had already received sanctions in 2023, when Cofepris confiscated CBD products and closed one of its stores in Mexico City due to irregularities in label information. The chain, which has operated as a franchise since 2015 with nearly 100 stores across the country, was accused of selling products outside the health regulations.
Vicente Fox, after leaving the presidency, became involved in activism for the legalization of marijuana. In 2013, he expressed his intention to produce and market marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes once the plant became legal in Mexico. In 2019, he announced that he would grow marijuana on his ranch in Guanajuato for further study and production.
