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TSA Now Allows Parents to Bring CBD Products for Kids in Their Carry On

Posted on June 1, 2019

The TSA quietly updated its website to allow parents to carry on CBD containing products for their children with epilepsy and other conditions that rely on CBD for treatment.

The United States Transportation Security Administration quietly updated its rules to permit parents of children with epilepsy to bring Food And Drug Administration-approved medical marijuana products as well as certain types of CBD-containing medication and products on carry on planes.

NBC News reported that the agency changed the rules last weekend and updated the language on its website.

CBD products that contain any THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana that gets you high, will not be permitted, nor will recreational marijuana products that contain THC.

NBC News pointed out that it’s not clear how the TSA plans to test products for the presence of THC; the agency says it would refer those cases to law enforcement.

The TSA updated the “What Can I Bring” section of its online regulations to reflect news of an FDA-approved epilepsy medication containing CBD oil.

“TSA was made aware of an FDA-approved drug that contains CBD oil for children who experience seizures from pediatric epilepsy,” the organization confirmed in a statement to Fox News. “To avoid confusion as to whether families can travel with this drug, TSA immediately updated TSA.gov once we became aware of the issue.”

The CBD products must be hemp-derived, and must meet the criteria described by the 2018 Farm Bill.

It hasn’t been easy for parents.

Last year, British airport officials seized CBD oil from a 12-year old who has epilepsy though the boy’s mom is still fighting officials over there for the decision.

A consumer reports study found that more than a quarter of people in the U.S. say they’ve tried CBD—a compound in marijuana and hemp that doesn’t get you “high” for a slew of mental and physical reasons. One out of 7 of those people said they use it every day.

CBD oils, or cannabinoid oils which are usually derived from the Cannabis sativa plant, are often sold as relaxation or pain-relief supplements

In June 2019, the FDA approved “Epidiolex (cannabidiol) [CBD] oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome,” the FDA wrote in a press announcement.

The legality of CBD oils containing trace amounts of THC currently varies from state to state.

The TSA will be briefing its officers on the new policy regarding the FDA-approved drug.

The “medical marijuana” section of the guidelines now says “products/medications that contain hemp-derived CBD or are approved by the FDA are legal as long as it is produced within the regulations defined by the law under the Agriculture Improvement Act 2018.”

Medications fitting that description can be packed in both checked and carry-on luggage — albeit with special instructions.

“Possession of marijuana and certain cannabis-infused products, including some Cannabidiol (CBD) oil products, remain illegal under federal law,” the TSA added in its emailed statement to Fox News.

“TSA officers are required to report any suspected violations of law, including possession of marijuana and certain cannabis-infused products.”

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BumpNews

FDA Warns Parents To Avoid Teething Remedies

Posted on May 24, 2018

Federal health officials warned parents Wednesday about the dangers of teething remedies that contain a popular numbing ingredient and asked manufacturers to stop selling their products intended for babies and toddlers. At least one major manufacturer announced that it will pull its teething gel for infants off the market.

The Food and Drug Administration said that various gels and creams containing the drug benzocaine can cause rare but deadly side effects in children, especially those 2 years and younger.

The agency has been warning about the products for a decade but said reports of illnesses and deaths have continued. Now, it wants teething products off the market, noting there is little evidence they actually work.

“We urge parents, caregivers and retailers who sell them to heed our warnings and not use over-the-counter products containing benzocaine for teething pain,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, in a statement.

The FDA said it will take legal action against companies that don’t voluntarily remove their products for young children. Manufacturers are expected to comply as soon as possible.

The agency posted a video on YouTube entitled, “Do teething babies need medicine on their gums? No.” It urged parents to avoid the products because of the risk of a potentially life-threatening condition called methemoglobinemia, which reduces oxygen in the blood. It also repeated a previous

Benzocaine is also used in popular over-the-counter products for toothaches and cold sores in adults, including Orajel and Anbesol and generic drugstore brands. Products for adults can remain on the market but the FDA wants companies to add new warnings.

Benzocaine can cause a rare blood condition linked to potentially deadly breathing problems. The pain-relieving ingredient can interfere with an oxygen-carrying protein in the blood. Symptoms include shortness of breath, headache and rapid heart rate.

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FDA Shuts Down Kim Kardashian’s Morning Sickness Instagram Ad

Posted on August 19, 2015

The US Federal Trade Commission has long regulated commercial content and advertisement in mass media and, in recent years, social media and blogs.

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration has been forced to jump into the regulation of social media business thanks to second time mom-to-be Kim Kardashian.

The reality TV star Instagrammed a “commercial” for Diclegis, a morning sickness medicine without disclosing all of the side effects, even though she did indicate she was paid.

With 43.5 million followers on that social media platform alone, the Keeping up With the Kardashian reality TV star had the ear of millions of women, many who had “liked” the post.

With only a small square of space to work with and a comment section, Kardashian did not have room (or forgot) to mention some of the required side effect disclosures of the drug like increased drowsiness and effect from interactions with alcohol, excitement, irritability and sedation in infants who breastfeed from women taking the drug and most importantly that the drug had never been tested for use with hyperemesis gravidarum, the most severe form of morning sickness.

Faced with “FDA regulatory action, including seizure or injunction, without further notice,” Kardashian has since deleted the post, though not before it gained 434,000 likes, endadget reported.

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BumpNews

Ciara poses with Easter Bunny with darker hair, About pregnant women and hair dye myth

Posted on April 22, 2014

Instagram/Ciara

Mom-to-be Ciara posted pics on Easter Sunday of herself posing up with a giant Easter bunny and another after getting ice cream on the holiday.

The photo also revealed that she has gone back to her original darker hair color. It also reminds us of an old wives tail about pregnant women and hair dye. There is a prevailing thought, which may be based on fear and myth, that dye may impact negatively on a growing baby.

It’s not entirely accurate that chemicals in hair dye and other hair products that alter the color or texture of the hair may penetrate your skin cells and infiltrate the fetus.

Dr. Roger W. Harms wrote for the Mayo Clinic site about dying your hair when pregnant, “when you use hair dye, a small amount of the dye may penetrate your skin. Generally, however, the dye isn’t thought to pose harm to a developing baby.

“Few studies have examined women’s use of hair dye before and during pregnancy, “he said. “A 2005 study suggested an association between hair dye and pregnancy and the childhood cancer neuroblastoma — but other studies haven’t reached the same conclusion. Most researchers say it’s unlikely that maternal use of hair products before or during pregnancy would increase the risk of childhood brain tumors.”

The good doctor has suggested that those concerned should talk to their health care provider, who may or may not suggest postponing any chemical hair treatments.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends for any person, pregnant or not, using hair dyes to:

Wear gloves when applying hair dye.
Apply hair dye as quickly as possible.
Rinse your scalp thoroughly after using hair dye.

For African American and Latina women who sometimes use chemical treatments to texturize, relax or soften their hair, similar precaution can be taken. Many women when they become pregnant avoid relaxers and switch to wearing braided hairstyles. The fear there too is the lye in the chemicals may somehow impact their growing fetus.

The styling consists of braiding or twisting their own natural hair or twisting in extensions that match their natural hair texture.

In the end, women should do what’s best for them and within the guidelines of their OB or midwife.

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