“Curaleaf” is a prominent international provider of cannabis consumer products with the purpose to enhance lives by bringing clarity and confidence to the cannabis industry. The Company and its brands, including Curaleaf and Select, deliver industry-leading service, product selection, and accessibility throughout the medical and adult-use sectors as a high-growth cannabis company known for quality, knowledge, and reliability.
Curaleaf, which has over 100 locations nationwide, has admitted in court filings that an employee unintentionally added THC-containing raw material to a batch of its Select branded CBD tincture product over the summer. THC is the primary psychoactive component of cannabis. Companies have begun offering CBD-based products as the non-psychoactive substance has grown in popularity for its purported wellness benefits.
According to Portland attorney Michael Fuller, he represents a total of 13 people who inadvertently ingested THC products thinking they were CBD. Ten of them have settled, and three are set for a jury trial.
Ayuba Agbonkhese, 45, who lives in Idaho, allegedly became ill after taking the drops he purchased in Oregon in September and ended up in the emergency room, where he “experienced harm, including the belief that he was going to die, shaking, racing heart, psychosis, discomfort, and distress, and interference with life activities,” according to the federal complaint filed in Oregon District Court. However, on Wednesday, he accepted Curaleaf’s $50,000 offer to settle his case.
The notice of acceptance stated, “Though Ayuba’s lawsuit is now closed, he will continue his effort to hold Curaleaf accountable for its irresponsible behavior.” “Ayuba will continue to petition for increased government regulation of Curaleaf’s operations, and for increased penalties against drug manufacturers like Curaleaf that violate the law.”
A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Curaleaf on January 1. The lawsuit claims that Earl Jacobe, 78, used the drops last fall and died two months later, with the drops being a “substantial factor” in his death. According to Fuller, Agbonkhese will also testify in that case.
Cura Cannabis, a Portland-based company acquired by Curaleaf in 2020, produced the CBD drops in question.
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission issued a recall of the tainted CBD drops in September after receiving reports that the tinctures were making people “high,” despite the fact that the packages stated there was no detectable THC.
Despite its legal challenges, Curaleaf continues to grow. It announced in December that it would acquire Bloom, a vertically integrated cannabis company with five dispensaries in Arizona as well as cultivation and processing facilities.