Companion bills in the Senate and House would allow the hemp derivative cannabidiol, also known as CBD, to be used in dietary supplements, foods, and beverages, the bills’ four sponsors said on Thursday. The lawmakers introduced the legislation six months after the FDA said that because there was insufficient research on CBD safety, it would not write regulations approving it for human or animal use.
“The FDA says Congress has to act. We’ve got the bill to ensure equal and safe access to hemp-derived CBD,” said Senate Finance Committee chair Ron Wyden, one of three Senate sponsors. The House sponsor, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, said CBD products have been on the market for half a decade and that it was time for “commonsense safety regulations to keep consumers safe and support manufacturers.”
Industrial hemp was legalized by the 2018 farm law, with CBD regarded as a likely hit with consumers and key to establishing a new cash crop. Growth of the hemp industry has been inhibited by the lack of federal regulation. CBD, which contains little or none of the psychoactive element found in marijuana, is sold in a regulatory gray market at present. Hemp also is marketed as a fiber and seed.
The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act would include hemp, hemp-derived CBD, and other hemp derivatives on the list of items regulated by the FDA as dietary supplements.
To read the FDA statement on CBD regulation, click here.