CBD regulation

Consumers, industry would benefit from standards

CBD is everywhere, from medical marijuana dispensaries to gas stations and grocery stores. It’s even used as an additive in beverages.

CBD production and sales are a growth industry bringing in hundreds of millions each year. That growth industry remains almost completely unregulated outside of the dispensaries.

CBD is an abbreviation for cannabidiol, found in hemp plants. Federal enforcement of the few laws and regulations governing CBD have been uneven and that must change.

It’s time for clear federal CBD regulations to protect consumers, the industry and hemp growers.

While the Department of Agriculture has the ability to regulate hemp farming, the Food and Drug Administration has authority relating to manufacturing, packaging and health claims. The FDA is considering regulatory frameworks for CBD. That work must come to fruition and a plan implemented as an agency priority.

Some states, including Pennsylvania, have limited regulation of CBD, but don’t have the resources to regulate the product from farm to manufacturing to products on the shelf. The commonwealth regulates CBD sold at medical marijuana dispensaries and tests hemp for THC content.

CBD derived from hemp contains negligible amounts of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

The FDA sends warning letters regularly to companies and stores marketing CBD products making health claims, but follow-up is rare. Little research exists to evaluate the health benefits of CBD.

Despite that, the products are popular with consumers — creating a new industry and a new cash crop.

Hemp farmers want to make every dollar they can from the plants; sales of CBD from hemp is a boon to farmers, who can also sell the remaining plant for fiber, which is used in several industries. Some estimates project that by 2025, the CBD market could be worth nearly $24 billion.

Legitimate, high quality producers would benefit from regulation to push cheap, shoddily processed and fake products out of the market.

Manufacturing, sales and marketing of CBD need regulation. The quality and ingredients in the packaged products are untested, putting consumers at risk. That’s where the FDA can step in and insure consumers who want to use the product that they can do so safely. The FDA should squelch false claims of the benefits of CBD until proven in scientific testing with stronger enforcement actions than a warning letter.

The FDA should protect public health, create production standards and test content to protect a burgeoning industry by creating regulations for CBD.