A mum who won a fight for her severely ill son to get medical cannabis on the NHS is being used by a “cowboy” CBD oil firm to flog its product on TikTok.
Hannah Deacon helped change the law when she secured epileptic Alfie Dingley a prescription to control life-threatening seizures.
The 11-year-old is one of only three kids with access to medical-grade cannabis oil, signed off for use by regulators after stringent checks.
But a private firm has been using pictures of the inspiring mum to sell its non-medical cannabidiol (CBD) oil on social media.
Posts on TikTok by Swiss Peak CBD feature a clip of the mum appearing on Loose Women, with the caption: “Cannabis is the only thing to help my boy.”
Taglines on the posts strongly suggest the oil could be used to treat epilepsy – despite not being approved for prescription or having any proven medical benefit.
Hannah, 44, said: “I’ve had families of young children contacting me to say they were so happy to see that they could buy this CBD oil to treat their child, thanks to my supposed endorsement.
“I’m not involved with the brand in any way and this misrepresentation of CBD oil is extremely dangerous for patients who might well assume this oil could help them.
“It’s heartbreaking to see families preyed upon by unscrupulous businesses who seek to make money out of terrible situations.
“These cowboys are making a quick buck while our kids die.”
In 2018, Alfie, then six, became the first person in the UK to receive a medical cannabis prescription to treat a rare form of epilepsy.
After having up to 500 major seizures a month, he has now gone more than 1,000 days seizure-free. The same medications cost up to £3,000 a month if bought privately.
It is estimated up to eight million people in the UK now use CBD oil.
Considered food supplements, the products are usually made from industrial hemp with only tiny amounts of psychoactive THC. Swiss Peak CBD tincture, which costs £30 for 30ml, contains hemp oil, aromatic extract and coconut oil.
The firm has also boasted it is “voted best in Europe for cancer”.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency states that no medical claims are to be made for non-prescription products.
Hannah, from Kenilworth, Warks, who has reported Swiss Peak to the MHRA and the Advertising Standards Authority, said: “There seems to be a complete lack of responsibility.
“This is completely illegal, misleads vulnerable people and must stop. We need more doctors to engage with patients who need prescriptions for medical cannabis, and wider access to cannabis medications on the NHS.”
Liverpool-based Swiss Peak said it had made a “horribly bad judgement call” in using Hannah’s image on TikTok.
The firm said it had briefed a marketing agency to “leverage any content which shone a positive spotlight on the cannabis and CBD spaces”. Marketing manager Stephen O’Hara added: “We believe in the power of CBD and cannabis to help millions lead better, healthier lives, and we have thousands of customers who are grateful to have found our product.
“This is the only message we’ll be perpetuating from now on.”
TikTok said the videos were no longer on the site.
