A company accused of advertising brightly packaged, Hubba Bubba-flavoured cannabis vape products to Australians through sponsored TikTok posts and selling them without checking for ID or requiring a prescription is being investigated by the country’s drugs regulator.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) confirmed it is investigating the content and owners of the Ethically Enhanced website, which sells vapes containing cannabidiol (CBD) under the name Temple CBD Australia. A TGA spokesperson said the regulator will now “determine the most appropriate regulatory action,” reports The Guardian.
The confectionery giant Mars, which makes Hubba Bubba chewing gum, confirmed it was also “considering legal action” against the company.
Temple CBD’s targeted “sponsored posts” were active on TikTok for at least a week, despite Australia not allowing medicinal cannabis products to be advertised to the public.
After being contacted about the advertisements, TikTok banned the account for breaching its policies, but said it was the “responsibility of the advertiser to ensure that all ads posted on TikTok are legally compliant, in accordance with our advertising policy and appropriate for our community.”