By far my most popular post is the one I did on Summit Joint last year. It only addresses some of the formulation and clinical issues though and I’ve been wanting to discuss the other associated… topics. So, round two, here we go.
Summit was “created” (the company, the product, although not the original chemical composition) and is owned by the Farmers – Heather and Dorian. Heather is a veterinarian by trade and Dorian has multiple… ventures.
They both have records of legal action: Dr. Farmer for violating a previous non-compete agreement and Dorian for felony grand theft auto, forgery and obtaining property under false pretenses (also both felonies). Additionally there’s information that he may have convictions for worthless checks and operating a vehicle with a suspended license. As far as I know, neither have faced any legal action directly related to SJP, but this isn’t a great or reassuring foundation for anyone creating and marketing a drug.
“But why should past mistakes impact him now?”
Maybe because… they do. There’s a reason having convictions in the US limits things like licensures and regulatory approvals. More so, this isn’t “one mistake” – these show a pattern of an individuals manner of doing business and going about life. And it’s not one I would put much value on to create an injectable for my animals.
“The owner is a veterinarian though!”
Yep. She is. We covered this in part 1, but suffice to say – a DVM or MD or DO does not qualify one to create drugs. Ask anyone who works in pharmaceuticals. Those are usually PhDs, some who also hold medical degrees. There’s a reason. Learning how to diagnose and treat is a much different skill set than the hard science needed to research and develop a product.
“It’s not a MLM! It’s just people who believe in it selling it!”
Hate to break it to ya, but you’re… wrong. Let’s take it from the FTC:
MLM companies sell their products or services through person-to-person sales. That means you’re selling directly to other people, maybe from your home, a customer’s home, or online.
If you join an MLM program, the company may refer to you as an independent “distributor,” “participant,” or “contractor.” Most MLMs say you can make money two ways:
by selling the MLM’s products yourself to “retail” customers who are not involved in the MLM, and
by recruiting new distributors and earning commissions based on what they buy and their sales to retail customers.
So let’s take SJP. Their “distributors” sell to retail customers and recruit new distributors where they then earn commission on. Making it.. an MLM. Any person who represents/distributes/sells SJP has a vested financial interest in your purchasing the product. Conveniently, when you then “sign up to be a representative” they get more money.
Are any of these things singularly disqualifying for a product’s reputation? Maybe not (although any MLM product is for me). Once you combine this with the lack of clinical data, playing fast and loose with federal regulations and shady business practices though – I’m not sure how anyone could feel comfortable with this product.