Online advertisements using the names of celebrities to promote fake cannabis products have become a popular form of misinformation on social media, with the latest iteration targeting CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
“Big Phrama in Outrage Over Sanjay Gupta’s Latest Business Venture – He Fires Back With This!” reads the headline of a Jan. 18 article that was shared to Facebook in a post that accumulated more than 100 reactions in a day.
The article, purportedly authored by CNN’s Maggie Fox and Elizabeth Cohen, claims Gupta “made headlines” after revealing his new line of CBD gummies on live television. The post includes supposed quotes about the product from Gupta and celebrities Tom Hanks, Randy Jackson, Drew Carrey and Halle Berry.
“FunDrops CBD Gummies is the product of thousands of hours of research and development,” the article attributes Gupta as saying. “I wouldn’t talk about something on air I don’t believe in and give to my family.”
But there is no evidence Gupta made these comments or that he launched a CBD gummy line. The claim has been previously debunked, and the article is one of many fake cannabis advertisements that have circulated online.
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The Facebook page that shared the post did not return a request for comment.
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