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A pair of Republican congressmen are asking US FDA Commissioner Robert Califf to answer questions on why there is a lack of regulations on CBD, a compound found in cannabis also present in some food products and supplements.
Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-Va) and Brett Guthrie (R-Ky) noted in a recent letter that while CBD, which is a cannabinoid derived from hemp, became legal on the federal level due to the 2018 Farm Bill, there has been a lack of rulemaking on it from the FDA.
The letter was first reported by Marijuana Moment.
"The United States currently has a robust but largely unregulated CBD market, which leads to an unsafe marketplace for consumers," the congressmen wrote.
"Consumer products that contain CBD — such as dietary supplements, food, and beverages — are currently sold across the country under a patchwork of state laws and regulations that have been developed and promulgated in light of FDA’s inaction," the added.
Griffith and Guthrie noted that the lack of regulation has led to instances of children purchasing CBD gummies with unsafe levels of delta-8 THC -- a psychoactive compound in cannabis -- leading to injury.
The two men want several questions answered by Califf by Oct. 17. They include: What scientific data and research into CBD the agency has gathered since 2018? What scientific questions it has asked other federal agencies regarding CBD that it needs answers to in order to establish a regulatory framework? What analysis the FDA has conducted comparing the risks of a regulated CBD marketplace with those of an unregulated one?
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