At Ministry of Hemp, I wrote about the tense relationship between the hemp industry and the Food and Drug Administration. Currently, the FDA doesn’t regulate CBD, but it will someday soon:
Even as CBD’s popularity grows, so does confusion about its legal status and the Food and Drug Administration’s handling of CBD. In reality, the FDA currently does not regulate CBD.
What this means is that the FDA isn’t monitoring the ingredients, purity, or methods used to make CBD products. Instead, they have been using their authority to warn certain “bad actors” in the industry that claim their products can treat or cure illnesses. In official FDA terms, these are known as “disease claims.”
This distinction is understandably lost on a lot of people. An October 2019 survey by the Grocery Manufacturers Association found that most Americans falsely believe CBD products are regulated.
In December, the FDA issued a “consumer update” about the safety CBD. The administration also sent 15 warning letters to CBD brands around the same time. This only added to the tension and confusion. Is CBD safe? Is it legal?
“The FDA & CBD: FDA Warning Letters Hint At Future CBD Regulation,” by Kit O’Connell at Ministry of Hemp
The legal status and potential regulations controlling sales of CBD remains one of the gray areas left by legalization of hemp in the U.S.
