The Consumer Brands Association has renewed its call for urgent government action on CBD regulations by sending letters to the FDA and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) that state that federal engagement is critical to ensuring consumer safety.
“It is time for the federal government to engage more meaningfully on regulating CBD, given the continued expansion of a ‘Wild West’ CBD market,” said Betsy Booren, Consumer Brands’ senior vice president of regulatory and technical affairs, in a statement. “Smart, clearly articulated regulations are essential to providing consumers assurance a product is safe regardless of which state it was purchased in and gives them the information they need to make informed choices.”
According to a new Consumer Brands/Ipsos poll, on a scale of one to 10, consumers regarded their knowledge of CBD at an average of 3.3, and 74 percent either incorrectly assume CBD is federally regulated or have no idea if it is regulated. While 28 percent of Americans have used CBD, confusing and sometimes contradictory state regulations —coupled with the lack of research and testing—is calling consumer safety into question, said the association.
Consumer Brands has long advocated for a more active approach from FDA. In the letter sent to Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, Booren outlined the components needed in a federal regulatory framework that would empower regulators to protect consumers by ensuring product safety and transparency and establish guardrails for legal product innovation and distribution in interstate commerce that provides clarity to manufacturers of CBD products. This request was echoed in a similar letter to Sen. Wyden, advocating for full funding of federal regulators to carry out this task and expressing support for S.1698, Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act.
“Until the federal government establishes clear, uniform standards for testing, safety, and ingredient levels, this market will continue to grow without appropriate federal oversight, potentially placing American consumers at risk,” Booren wrote in her letter to Acting Commissioner Woodcock.
Related: Senators Introduce Act to Establish FDA Regulation of CBD in Food, Beverage; New York Legalizes Adult-Use Cannabis.