The National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC) has recently given recommendations to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on CBD regulation.
The NIHC, which provides high-quality networking and resources for its members, made the comments following a listening session with the FDA‘s CBD Working Group in which members of NIHC’s Consumer Protection Task Force emphasised the importance of establishing basic safety standards and regulations in order to protect consumers in this new and emerging industry.
The comments intend to help the FDA establish a policy of enforcement discretion on CBD products.
CBD recommendations
The NIHC’s mission is to help advance the hemp industry through safe and reliable products, says board member Patrick Atagi.
Atagi commented: “NIHC members support safety standards for our industry. We are well aware of the reports of inconsistent products that do not contain the ingredients listed on the label, those that feature unsubstantiated health claims, or which contain excessive THC levels or other contaminants. Our mission is to help advance the hemp industry through safe, reliably manufactured products that consumers can rely on and we’re glad to partner with FDA to bring this to fruition.”
The comments submitted by the NIHC are focused on five key regulatory points:
- Existing studies support safety of human consumption of CBD in dosing appropriate for dietary supplements and conventional foods
- FDA should continue to allow marketing and sale of CBD cosmetics while it investigates CBD consumption’s systemic impact on humans
- Clarity regarding standardised testing requirements and laboratory practices
- Standardised national manufacturing and labelling requirements for product transparency
- Definitions for key terms, such as broad spectrum, hemp extract, etc
Atagi concluded: “We believe that including these points in a policy of enforcement discretion would provide clear guidance for industry regarding FDA’s expectations for manufacturing and labelling CBD products. We understand that FDA is continuing to review data and safety considerations regarding the impact of cumulative CBD use and consumption and that further clinical research may be needed to confirm the health benefits or hazards that may be associated with CBD. We support this work.
“However, at present, industry and consumers need FDA to issue guidance to ensure a marketplace that is as safe as it can be. These requirements strike the right balance between protecting consumers and providing guidance to industry.”
You can read NIHC’s full comments to the FDA here.
