Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort MyersThe Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics
FORT MYERS Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort Myers The Lee County GOP is hosting the Trumparilla Boat Parade in support of the Republican nominee.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner charged for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
FORT MYERS Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort Myers The Lee County GOP is hosting the Trumparilla Boat Parade in support of the Republican nominee.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner charged for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
Oils containing CBD (Cannabidiol) are seen in a shop in Paris on June 14, 2018. – The government recently reminded industries that “only seeds and fibers can be used. The use of flowers is forbidden. Only certain varieties of cannabis or hemp, devoid of narcotic properties, can be used for industrial and commercial purposes under cumulative conditions. No therapeutic virtue can be claimed by manufacturers, sellers of products containing CBD”. (Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP) (Photo credit should read GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP/Getty Images) The FDA held its the first public hearing Friday on a plan to legalize CBD in food and drinks. CBD comes from plants in the cannabis family, but unlike marijuana, it won’t make you high. Cannabis-related products have flooded the market, making health claims about pain relief, immune function and anxiety and depression and it’s expected to be a $20 billion dollar industry by 2022. In March, WINK News first investigated why thousands of CBD products are already on the market in Southwest Florida, despite the state saying it is technically still illegal for sale. We found shops selling CBD in the form of oils, soaps, brownies, and even coffee. “That’s what made us get into it is, the market demanded it,” said Jimmy Java, owner of Jimmy’s Java. “And we can’t keep it on the shelves.” He started selling his CBD-infused coffee at farmer’s markets late last year. “If this can help me, I’m all for it,” said J.D. Call, who bought the CBD-infused coffee from Jimmy’s Java. He said he suffers from back pain. MORE: Confusion Over Cannabidiol: Is CBD legal? It depends who you ask The goal of the hearing is to “identify and collate all available data to help us answer these questions in order to make sure that the American public is protected — including to the extent CBD is being introduced into our food supply or other common consumer products,” Michael Felberbaum, an FDA spokesman, said in an email to CNN. CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is the ingredient in marijuana and hemp touted to have many medicinal benefits. It’s different from tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis. Last June, the FDA for the first time approved a cannabis plant-derived, CBD-based drug, Epidiolex, which is approved to treat two severe and rare forms of epilepsy: Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Dr. Amy Abernathy, principal deputy commissioner of the FDA and head of the agency’s CBD working group, said in a tweet last week, “The FDA has not approved any other CBD-containing products. We want consumers to be aware that there is only limited available information about CBD, including about its effects on the body.” Witnesses from the supplement industry, researchers, doctors and patients are all expected to testify about their experiences with cannabis at Friday’s hearing. The agency will also make a docket available for public comments that will close on July 2. In April, then-FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb warned in a statement that “open questions remain regarding the safety” of widespread use of CBD products. He also noted there are concerns about a lack of standards around CBD concentrations in products and the possible impacts of long-term CBD use. “It’s critical that we address these unanswered questions about CBD and other cannabis and cannabis-derived products to help inform the FDA’s regulatory oversight of these products,” he said. “Especially as the agency considers whether it could be appropriate to exercise its authority to allow the use of CBD in dietary supplements and other foods.” It is illegal to introduce CBD or THC into the food supply or market it as a dietary supplement. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. However, at least 10 states have moved ahead and legalized the purchase and possession of recreational marijuana while 33 states allow the use of medical marijuana. As states have liberalized the use of marijuana, CBD-related products such as oils, lotions, chocolates and even dog food have stormed the market. In December, President Donald Trump signed the Farm Bill into law, legalizing hemp, which also contains high levels of CBD. Market analysts expect the hemp-derived CBD market alone to hit between $15-20 billion in the next five to six years. “The industry is exploding, it’s growing in popularity every day. It’s so important for the FDA to get a regulatory handle on this,” said Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the US Hemp Roundtable, an industry-backed advocacy group. “There are bad products out there. There are products that make false claims. It’s important that FDA develop standards.” Earlier this year, FDA sent warning letters to PotNetwork Holdings in Florida, Nutra Pure in Washington state and Advanced Spine and Pain in New Jersey for “making unsubstantiated claims related to more than a dozen different products and spanning multiple product webpages, online stores and social media websites.” These companies made claims that CBD could help with cancer and dementia. Since 2015, the FDA has issued 48 similar type letters about the marketing of CBD products. Miller said the industry wants regulation. “Our biggest enemy isn’t the FDA or the DEA, but CBD companies making false claims,” he said. There needs to be clear steps in informing the public that there is no science behind the generic claims made about CBD,” Dr. Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai in New York and a cannabis researcher, wrote in an email to CNN. But Hurd worries that the FDA is coming to the table too late. “The market and the public have already let the genie out of the bottle and it will be difficult to put it back in without the FDA and government showing clear proof that there is evidence showing a negative health impact,” she said. While a timeline hasn’t been set by the FDA, Miller is hopeful that the FDA will prioritize creating regulations for cannabis-based products. He anticipates that CBD can be regulated both as a drug and as supplement, potentially based on dosing and concentration. Maintaining a distinction between a medical research pathway and a supplements pathway is key, Hurd said. “It is critical that the FDA consider making a distinct pathway to expedite CBD research to thus make it possible to quickly inform policy makers, patients and physicians about the potential health impact, dosing regimens, adverse effects as necessary for the development of any medication. It needs to be clear that such a pathway would be different from recreational or nutraceutical/supplement market.” Hemp Program Bill Introduced In Florida According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: “In May, the Florida Legislature passed SB 1020, which creates a state hemp program in Florida. The bill is currently awaiting the [Gov. Ron DeSantis’] signature and, if signed, will take effect July 1. “Meanwhile, our Department is moving forward with plans to implement the program. We will be holding workshops to gather public input with the goal of having the state hemp program in place by this fall, to allow hemp to be grown in 2020.” “Our Department will be responsible for regulating the growth, manufacturing, testing, and sale of cannabis and CBD products in Florida, the rules for which are being developed over the next several months. “Until the bill is signed and the state hemp program is in place, CBD products are still not legal for sale under Florida Statute 893.02. Commissioner Fried is a strong advocate for cannabis and hemp, and she is working as quickly as possible to make the exciting potential of hemp a reality in Florida in the coming months.” A spokesperson from the Florida Senate said in an email: “The bill has not yet been transmitted to the [Gov. DeSantis]. The Senate is coordinating the timing of sending bills with the governor’s office, specifically accounting for the trade mission to Israel.” They expect to send the approved bill to Gov. Desantis in the coming days when he has returned from the trade mission. RELATED ARTICLES: CBD fans want edibles, but some states are killing their buzz Creator of Jelly Belly launches CBD-infused beans Great-grandmother arrested at Disney World for having CBD oil; but is it really illegal? CBD is getting buzz, but does it work? And is it legal?