FDA Warns CBD May Overpromise and Underdeliver

Image result for CBD has become a popular additive to items like foods and edibles. Getty Images Gels, creams, and pills containing cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive, potentially therapeutic compound in the cannabis plant, have proliferated at a seemingly exponential rate in the past five years.  The industry is poised to double in growth each year between now and 2024, according to cannabis consumer research firm BDS Analytics.  But CBD is still in a regulatory gray area, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the process of wading through scientific and public commentTrusted Source to refine its regulatory strategy toward CBD products.  In the meantime, the agency has started to issue warnings over manufacturers’ more egregious claims about CBD’s therapeutic effects.  The latest warning Most recently, the agency warnedTrusted Source a CBD manufacturer for making unsubstantiated medical claims about CBD’s health benefits, including claims that the compound could treat Alzheimer’s disease and kill breast cancer cells.  “Selling unapproved products with unsubstantiated therapeutic claims — such as claims that CBD products can treat serious diseases and conditions — can put patients and consumers at risk by leading them to put off important medical care,” said acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless, in a statementTrusted Source.  “Additionally, there are many unanswered questions about the science, safety, effectiveness, and quality of unapproved products containing CBD,” he said.  The manufacturer, Curaleaf, responded in a statement that they “immediately began an extensive review of its website and social media platforms to remove all statements that FDA identified as noncompliant.”  They also said that many of the products cited by the FDA have been discontinued and that they’re working to ensure their products are compliant with FDA regulations.  “Our industry needs, wants, and appreciates the work the FDA is doing to ensure there is regulation and compliance in the CBD marketplace,” said Joseph Lusardi, CEO of

Gels, creams, and pills containing cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive, potentially therapeutic compound in the cannabis plant, have proliferated at a seemingly exponential rate in the past five years.

The industry is poised to double in growth each year between now and 2024, according to cannabis consumer research firm BDS Analytics.

But CBD is still in a regulatory gray area, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the process of wading through scientific and public commentTrusted Source to refine its regulatory strategy toward CBD products.

In the meantime, the agency has started to issue warnings over manufacturers’ more egregious claims about CBD’s therapeutic effects.

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