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Can hemp cosmetics get you stoned? A minor hemp controversy erupted earlier this week: Health Canada threatened to seize a line of hemp-based beauty products being introduced by the Body Shop last Friday, only to withdraw the threat on Monday afternoon. The threat of seizure came as a total surprise to the Body Shop. Company spokesperson Sorya Gaulin says they consulted regularly with Health Canada over the last six months, ensuring that all hemp products contained no more than 10 parts per million of THC, the chemical in marijuana that gets you stoned (hemp and marijuana are part of the same plant family). All products had been approved and the launch set for this week, when suddenly Health Canada changed its mind. Why the change of heart? Health Canada officials sheepishly declined to answer the question but, according to Gaulin, they suddenly became concerned about "multiple exposure": "They wondered what would happen if someone woke up, took a bath with hemp oil, washed their hair with hemp shampoo, covered their body in hemp skin cream, drank a cup of hemp tea and ate a hempseed muffin." Health Canada retracted their threat after a full-day meeting on Monday, but said they will continue to test the products. The Body Shop's Hemp Dry Skin Treatment products are available in stores now. -Philip Preville
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