Katie Price's CBD Cancer Cure Claims Prompt Official Trading Standards Investigation
Reality television personality Katie Price is under formal investigation by Trading Standards authorities following controversial social media posts in which she promoted CBD oil as a cure for cancer. The 47-year-old mother of five, a paid ambassador for Supreme CBD, allegedly made claims that the cannabis-derived product healed a tumour in a two-year-old child, sparking widespread outrage and complaints to regulatory bodies.
Regulatory Scrutiny Over Dangerous Health Claims
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) confirmed it has received multiple complaints regarding advertisements by Supreme CBD and Katie Price. After initial assessment, the ASA has escalated the matter to Liverpool Trading Standards, which serves as its legal enforcement mechanism. An ASA spokesperson stated that their compliance team is continuing to evaluate further actions, including potential engagement with social media platforms where the posts appeared.
The controversial content centers on a conversation Katie Price had with Serena Stregapede, partner of Supreme CBD founder and Olympic boxer Anthony Fowler. In the discussion, which occurred in April of last year, Stregapede claimed that a tumour in her daughter Roma's leg had "shrunk" after using Supreme CBD oil instead of pursuing conventional chemotherapy treatment. Price enthusiastically endorsed these assertions, telling her followers: "They've shown me the pictures of before and after from using CBD where it shrunk it all."
Public Backlash and Medical Community Concerns
The claims triggered immediate condemnation from medical professionals and concerned followers who labelled the promotion as "dangerous" and "disgusting." Critics emphasized that Price lacks any medical or scientific qualifications and warned that vulnerable individuals might forego essential medical treatments based on such misleading information.
One commenter expressed: "Health is too important to mess with, and vulnerable people can often look for the 'easy solution' when there isn't one. Don't endanger lives." Another added: "Please don't post dangerous false information like this. People might take your word as fact and refuse medical advice."
Major cancer organizations have clarified the current scientific understanding regarding cannabis products. Macmillan Cancer Support states on its website: "At the moment, there is no reliable medical evidence to show whether cannabis, in any form, can effectively and safely treat cancer in humans." Similarly, Cancer Research UK notes that while some research suggests cannabinoids might suppress tumour growth in laboratory settings, robust clinical evidence for human treatment remains lacking.
Celebrity Endorsement and Regulatory Implications
Katie Price has been a vocal advocate for CBD products, regularly promoting Supreme CBD oil across her social media platforms including Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). In her controversial post, she detailed how the Fowler family "refused hospital treatment and healed her themselves, which is amazing," before providing a checkout code for Supreme CBD products.
The investigation highlights growing regulatory concerns about celebrity endorsements of health products, particularly when such promotions make unverified medical claims. Trading Standards now faces the task of determining whether these social media posts violated advertising regulations regarding health claims and product efficacy.
When contacted by The Mirror for comment, Katie Price's representatives declined to respond. Serena Stregapede has also not provided any statement regarding the investigation. The regulatory outcome could set important precedents for how social media health claims are monitored and enforced in the digital advertising landscape.
