FDA Commissioner: Regulatory Process For CBD Edibles Kicks Off With April Hearings

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said his agency has plans to regulate CBD edibles and will start holding public hearings on the matter as early as April.

What Happened

The FDA has taken notice of the legalization of hemp and CBD in December, Gottlieb said during a Wednesday House Appropriations Committee committee. 

The agency is assembling a team of senior officials to develop new rules and will start the process with a public hearing in April. 

Gottlieb also warned the committee that the regulations concerning CBD-infused food products will not be straightforward. As a potential pathway, Gottlieb said the FDA might regulate products with high CBD content as drugs and subject them to more stringent rules, but products with lower concentrations could be categorized as food products. 

Why It's Important

Since the legalization of hemp and hemp-derived CBD in the Farm Bill, the CBD industry has eyed the FDA's position toward the substance, as it represents an obstacle to mass-market CBD edibles from a federal standpoint.

A clear set of rules would make it easier for companies like New Age Beverages Corp NBEV to distribute their products and would eliminate the uncertainties that might prevent large retailers such as Walmart, Inc. WMT, from offering CBD products. 

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Public domain photo via Wikipedia.