In a press release on February 9, 2023, by PRNewswire, breaking news announced that a federal lawsuit against HBI International, the distributor of RAW® rolling paper, is ordered to terminate making multiple false claims about its RAW® Organic Hemp Rolling Papers.andnbsp;
Republic brands, a leading manufacturer of rolling papers, filed an injunction against HBI International on January 31, 2023, for multiple false claims being used in their marketing for RAW® rolling papers.
False Claims
The founder of RAW®, Joshua Kesselman, reported in an interview in 2022 that RAW® papers were crafted in Alcoy, Spain. Using this as a marketing strategy that, Alcoy, Spain was the “birthplace of rolling papers.” It was later released on January 19, 2023, that “HBI International makes no rolling paper in Alcoy, Spain whatsoever.”andnbsp;
In addition to the above false claim, the company also made packaging claims that it contributed to and funded a 501(c) charitable foundation known as the “RAW foundation.” However, on December 6, 2022, the courts ruled that the company’s “RAW Foundation” was non-existent. HBI has since been ordered to cease making those claims.andnbsp;
Federal Court Rulings
The federal order permanently forbids the following claims to be made:andnbsp;
- That RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers are “unrefined;”
- That RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers are made with natural hemp gum, or that the adhesive used in RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers is made from or contains hemp;
- That RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers are, or ever were, the world’s first or world’s only organic (or organic hemp) rolling papers;
- That RAW Organic Hemp rolling paper booklets are made in Alcoy, Spain;
- That RAW Organic Hemp pre-rolled rolling-paper cones are made in Alcoy, Spain;
- That the bulk paper (“bobbins”) used to make RAW Organic Hemp rolling paper products is made in Spain;
- That RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers are made in Alcoy Spain, the birthplace of rolling papers; and
- HBI shall not use on its packaging a “stamp” including the use of the word Alcoy or referring to Alcoy.
- That RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers are made using wind power or are powered by wind;
- That HBI uses or used the center of the hemp stalk for its RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers;
- That HBI or Joshua Kesselman invented rolling paper pre-rolled cones;
- That the OCB Organic Hemp papers are knock-offs, “RAWnabees”, copies, or fake versions of RAW.
