CBD-infused products should be allowed, assert members of Congress
Different jurisdictions across the country have recently begun to ban edibles made with cannabidiol (CBD). The move has been worrisome for one of the fastest growing markets in the marijuana industry, but there is now some potential relief coming from Washington. Congressional members have begun to lobby the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to approve CBD, which could allow CBD-infused edibles to continue to expand from coast to coast.
A bipartisan group of 12 Congressional lawmakers sent a letter to the FDA last Friday, asserting that the recent crackdown on CBD foods has “spurred a tremendous amount of confusion among product manufacturers, hemp farmers, and consumers of these products.” It adds, “In light of the aforementioned state enforcement actions and the resulting confusion, we are calling on FDA to swiftly provide guidance on lawful pathways for food products with CBD.”
The FDA has previously said, after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, that it reserves the right to regulate cannabis products. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb added that “pathways remain available for the FDA to consider whether there are circumstances in which certain cannabis-derived compounds might be permitted in a food or dietary supplement,” and stated that the agency would hold a public meeting designed to receive input on CBD edibles and other products.
The letter urges Gottlieb to speed things up, and looks to receive answers to several questions by tomorrow. Specifically, it wants to know when the FDA will provide guidance on CBD food products, if the FDA advised states to reconsider allowing CBD edible and when the agency plans on holding a public hearing on the regulation of CBD products.
