400 tubes of lip balm containing THC discarded

Not everyone checks the ingredients of lip balm.

A U.S. military base in Anchorage, Alaska, threw away hundreds of tubes of lip balm after discovering they contained trace amounts of THC and hemp seed oil, The Associated Press reports.

Officials at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richards said the base’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office had been distributing the lip balm with other promotional items, according to The Alaska Dispatch News. According to the AP, the lip balm was discarded after officials found it contained trace amounts of THC, an active ingredient in marijuana, and hemp seed oil, which is banned under U.S. Army and Air Force regulations.

The AP reports JBER spokesman 1 st Lt. Michael Harrington said they mistakenly purchased the lip balm.

“Not everybody thinks to check the ingredients list on ChapStick,” said Harrington. “It’s a real thing; kind of embarrassing, I guess.”

Harrington said the products were thrown out to “take the route of utmost caution,” according to the AP.