FDA to Hold Public Hearings on CBD

The Food and Drug Administration is set to host a public hearing on CBD next month “to obtain scientific data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds,” the agency announced on Tuesday.

According to a federal register document, the federal Farm Bill passed last year removes hemp from the controlled substances act while “explicitly” preserving the FDA’s authority to regulate cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. Several states with legalized hemp cite the FDA’s authority over CBD as justification for banning it from foods and beverages.

“Therefore, because the 2018 Farm Bill did not change FDA’s authorities, cannabis and cannabis derived products are subject to the same authorities and requirements as FDA-regulated products containing any other substance, regardless of whether the products fall within the definition of ‘hemp’ under the 2018 Farm Bill,” the document says.

The agency notes they are aware that some companies are marketing CBD “in ways that violate the [Food, Drug & Cosmetic] Act and that they have taken action against “companies illegally selling CBD products that were intended to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat, or cure serious diseases, such as cancer, and that had not obtained new drug approvals.”

The FDA claims that it had “safety concerns” about CBD pharmaceutical Epidiolex which was approved in the U.S. last year. The agency alleges that the drug carries a “potential for liver injury” and other side effects.

The agency is accepting public comments online, in writing, and during the hearing.