FDA RESISTS PUSH BY FOOD AND DRINKS COMPANIES TO ADD CBD TO PRODUCTS

The market for products containing CBD, the nonpsychoactive component of marijuana, has been growing along with marijuana legalization and the influx of products containing the drug and its variants. Big food and drinks companies, including Molson Coors beer and Mondelez, the snack food giant, have expressed interest in cashing in on what is expected to be a booming market for CBD-infused products. For now, however, the Food and Drug Administration is staunchly opposed—setting up a food fight in that $1 trillion market. The FDA argues that there’s little research on the health impact on CBD in food and beverages; previously, the agency raised concerns that high levels of CBD consumption could cause liver damage. There are also concerns that CBD will show up in food products without consumers knowing. There are currently a number of CBD-infused “wellness” drinks on the market that claim to reduce stress and anxiety, yet there’s little evidence they live up to the hype. At the same time, the FDA has not taken such a hard line when it comes to CBD in dietary supplements, which are technically illegal too but represent a much smaller and less accessible market than food and drinks. Meanwhile, the FDA has warned Congress that any attempt to legalize CBD in food would pose a risk to public health after a bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed legislation to allow it in food and drink products. In response, the FDA has said the bill would put consumers, especially vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those who are pregnant, at risk. The FDA is correct to resist allowing widespread use of CBD in the products we eat and drink withoutadequate scientific research about safety and how this will impact public health.