FDA warning letters shed light on enforcement priorities for CBD-infused food
CBD has quickly gained mainstream popularity. The market is flooded with hemp-based, CBD-infused products including gummy candies, coffee, honey, sparkling water, popcorn, cereal and cookies. And yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has made it clear that any food containing CBD is illegal under federal law. The FDA is under pressure from stakeholders to find a regulatory path forward for CBD-containing foods. Until then, however, it is a regulatory wild west. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp, but the status of hemp-derived CBD remains in regulatory limbo. The FDA prohibits the introduction of food or dietary supplements containing added CBD regardless of whether the CBD is hemp derived. Under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, ahow much iron in ferrous sulfate manufacturer may not introduce into commerce a food or dietary supplement containing an active ingredient that is in an FDA-approved drug or for which substantial clinical investigations have been conducted. CBD is an active ingredient in FDA-approved drugs and has been the subject of substantial clinical investigatchelated iron for anemiaions, and therefore is not permitted in food.In May 2019, FDA held a public hearing on how FDA should, or should not, regulate cannabis derived products. The FDA did not provide a strategy for regulating cannabis at the hearing. FDA panelists, however, did ask questions that reveal the agency’s concerns over the widespread use of CBD in the food supply, including the scientific evidence to support safe levels of CBD in various forms, restrictions on youth access and data collection efforts by consumer product companies to identify adverse events experienced by the larger consumer base. Since 2015, FDA has issued about 25 warning letters to companies selling CBD-derived human and animal products. “Warning Letters” are
administrative actions that are akin to cease and desist letters. The majority cited hemp or CBD-derived human ingestible products, such as oils, tinctures, gummies, lollipops and capsules. FDA’s most recent warning letter was publishemagnesium fizzd in September 2019.The FDA objected to a variety of specific claims — including anxiety, pain, a
rthritis and cancer — for CBD-infused products in its warning letters. Here are some of the claims that FDA
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ected to: The FDA does not plan to exercise a policy of enforcement discretion with respect to any CBD products, yet the agency has garnered criticism for not aggressively pursuing marketers of online retailers of CBD products. While the FDA has issued a handful of warning letters to companies making egregious therapeutic claims, it has noferric phosphate buyt initiated an aggressive pursuit of CBD marketers.Based on the warning letters, the following are guideposts that legal and marketing teams should consider as they adfda approved magnesium malatevise on strategies for promoting their products. Joining the CBD product trend may be lucrative, but companies should use caution and consult with qualified counsel to avoid potential pitfalls and enforcement actions.
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