B.C. naturopath claims college can't stop him from selling fecal transplants to treat autistic kids

A Fraser Valley naturopath has filed a legal action against his professional regulator, alleging it doesn't have the power to stop him from producing fecal transplants in his B.C. lab to administer to autistic children in Mexico.

Last month, the College of Naturopathic Physicians of B.C. ordered Jason Klop to stop producing pills or enemas made from human feces, saying it was necessary to take "extraordinary action" to protect the public while an investigation is underway.

In response, Klop has filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court asking for a judge to step in and quash the college's action. That document includes allegations that the college has overstepped its powers by setting guidelines outside its jurisdiction to regulate the practice of naturopathy.

The college, it says, "has no mandate to purport to protect patients who are receiving treatment in Mexico or any other place outside British Columbia or otherwise restrict the treatment choices of patients outside British Columbia."

As for the regulation of fecal transplant products, Klop argues that's the domain of Health Canada.

None of the allegations in the petition have been proven in court and the college has yet to file a response. CBC has reached out to the college registrar for comment.

As first reported in January 2020, Klop has been charging parents about $15,000 US for autistic children as young as two years old to have fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) at a clinic in the oceanside Mexican city of Rosarito.