FDA Sends Warning Letters to Five Companies for Illegal CBD Food and Beverage Sales

The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has posted five warning letters to companies that it says have been selling illegal CBD food and beverage products online, according to an FDA press release.

The agency says the products in question are dangerous because “people may confuse [them] for traditional foods or beverages which may result in unintentional consumption or overconsumption of CBD. CBD-containing products in forms that are appealing to children, such as gummies, hard candies and cookies, are especially concerning.”

The five companies which received FDA‘s warning letters include:

• 11-11-11 Brands
• Naturally Infused LLC
• Newhere Inc dba CBDFX
• Infusionz LLC
• CBD American Shaman, LLC

The agency said it asked the companies to respond within 15 working days and explain how they plan to address the issues outlined in the warning letters, and why they believed the products in question were not in violation of federal law. The agency said failure to adequately address the violations could lead to further and more severe enforcement actions.

FDA, which regulates the federal hemp industry including hemp-derived cannabinoids such as CBD, has notified industry participants multiple times including most recently a warning against consumer products containing hemp-derived delta-8 THC, which has yet to be thoroughly studied. FDA has also warned at least two companies against making claims that their CBD products can help treat opioid addiction.