Bipartisan House lawmakers recently introduced a bill to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop regulations for food and beverages containing hemp-derived CBD and allow for their interstate commerce.
The CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act would require the FDA to develop rules and hold a public comment period on the maximum amount of hemp-derived CBD that could be added to a food item or beverage per serving, labeling and packaging requirements and the “conditions of intended use.”
While the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp-derived CBD from the Controlled Substances Act, it did not make changes to existing FDA law or regulatory policies governing its use in FDA-regulated products.
The bill is sponsored by Reps. Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Angie Craig (D-MN) and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX).
“Years after CBD was decriminalized, a lack of clear federal standards in the CBD industry has left businesses guessing and customers at risk. It’s clear that this growing industry needs regulatory clarity in order to continue selling their products safely and effectively,” said Craig. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation to create enforceable safeguards and ensure accountability in the industry.”
Both the Consumer Brands Association and U.S. Hemp Roundtable issued statements in support of the bill’s introduction.
“The hemp industry is grateful to Reps. Kathleen Rice, Morgan Griffith, Angie Craig and Dan Crenshaw for their introduction of the CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act,” said Jonathan Miller, General Counsel, U.S. Hemp Roundtable, the hemp industry’s national advocacy organization. “We strongly support requiring the FDA to regulate hemp extracts like CBD as food and beverage ingredients.”
