CHICAGO — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has created a working group to spearhead the questions surrounding cannabis and CBD—the nonpsychoactive component of marijuana—in food and beverages, the administration said during its first public hearing on the topic on May 31.
"There are lots of questions we will need to answer to ensure that the FDA is taking an appropriate, well-informed and science-based approach to the regulation of cannabis and cannabis derivatives, including CBD," said Norman Sharpless, acting commissioner of the FDA, at the start of the hearing. "We hope that this meeting, and the comments submitted to our public docket, will help us as we try to approach this issue in an informed way. This hearing is an important step in our continued evaluation of cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds in FDA-regulated products."
This task force will be co-chaired by two FDA principals: Amy Abernethy, principal deputy commissioner; and Lowell Schiller, principal associate commissioner for policy. Other issues explored during the hearing included regulated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels, governmental policies, agricultural effects, consumer safety and medical purposes of CBD.
“Without the FDA’s guidance and leadership, individual states will carve out their own regulatory expectations for CBD, creating a patchwork approach that will hinder the nationwide growth of this industry and endanger consumers,” said Joseph Reardon, assistant commissioner for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, Raleigh, N.C., during the hearing “We urge the FDA to resolve the statutory issues and establish a legal pathway for CBD products to enter the marketplace.”
This curated list—featuring original content from CSP as well as news from around the industry—aims to provide retailers with the latest trends, stories and insights on CBD. The list is part of CSP’s CBD-focused newsletter and offers updates every month.
Here’s the hottest CBD news from the past month …
Why the transition to legality on a practical level will occur over time.
CSP weighs the potential and the risk of a high-stakes new category.
Why the 2018 Farm Bill was just the beginning.
Taboos abound as the c-store channel considers a new category.
Product quality, regulatory issues cloud development for tobacco and other c-store categories, says forum speaker.
How Target, Walmart and other leading retailers are planning to sell CBD.
How future FDA guidelines may impact profit margins.
State governor argues that 2018 Farm Bill does not legalize the retail sale of CBD.
Payment startups have policies against selling hemp-derived products, but larger retailers are allowed to slide while smaller ones get their service pulled.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.