Contact Information: Ben Washburn, washburn.ben@epa.gov, 816-518-4154
LENEXA, KAN. (DEC. 6, 2023) – CBD American Shaman LLC, based in Kansas City, Missouri, will pay a $120,720 civil penalty and donate $250,000 of products to a local nonprofit to settle alleged violations of federal law.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company unlawfully sold and/or distributed six antimicrobial pesticides called “Shaman Cleansing Wash” and “Shaman Cleansing Gel” without registering the products with EPA, in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
“The registration of pesticide products with EPA is critical to protecting public health so consumers are aware of a product’s ingredients, how the product can be safely used, and how the product should be properly stored and disposed,” said David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division.
CBD American Shaman’s settlement with EPA includes the donation of medical equipment, including COVID-19 tests, personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer, antiseptic wipes, masks, gloves, and thermometers, to Care Beyond the Boulevard, a Kansas City nonprofit that provides free medical services to Kansas City’s homeless and underserved populations. CBD American Shaman will donate $50,000 worth of products each year for five years.
According to EPA, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in sales of unregistered pesticides.
CBD American Shaman is a wellness company specializing in cannabidiol (CBD) products with over 300 locations in 30 states. The alleged violations were observed during EPA inspections in 2021 at one of the company’s locations in Overland Park, Kansas, and at the company’s headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.
Under federal law, it is unlawful to distribute or sell any pesticide that is not registered with EPA. An antimicrobial pesticide is a type of pesticide that is intended either to disinfect, sanitize, reduce, or mitigate growth or development of microbiological organisms.
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Learn more about the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
Learn more about EPA Region 7