webadminIn a recent announcement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that it intended to hold the first civil hearings on cannabidiol or CBD in April 2019. The agency would work on the rules and regulations governing the use of CBD in foods, drinks, and other products. Addressing the House Appropriations Committee on February 27, 2019, FDA Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb said that they were committed towards the upcoming hearing and were focusing wholeheartedly on it.
Speaking further on the issue, Gottlieb stated that he had taken cognizance of the fact that the Congress had legalized CBD, derived from hemp, in December 2018. However, the lack of a clear set of laws to govern the use of this, had prompted the agency to collaborate with a team of senior FDA officials to work out the new regulations. The FDA Commissioner agreed that this was not going to be an easy process in itself and it may take up to two or more years for the rules to be fully implemented.
Found in the cannabis plant, CBD is a chemical compound that relaxes the body and brings about a sense of calm, without the psychoactive effects. Although CBD, as derived from hemp, has been legalized by the federal government, the FDA regulations still forbid restaurants and companies to lace food and drinks with the substance. Hemp is a species of the cannabis plant. It has a high concentration of CBD and a low concentration of delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
What would the possible legal framework look like?
While speaking to the committee, Gottlieb gave a rough idea of how a tentative legal framework was likely to appear. He said that high CBD concentrates would probably be legally controlled as a drug and would be subject to severer oversight. On the contrary, CBD with lower concentrations was likely to be branded as food product subject to a relatively relaxed review process. Gottlieb said that considering the fact that CBD had some possible healing benefits, having a legal process in place for it with pharmaceutical grade, would offer medicine companies the opportunity to carry out relevant studies and develop medications derived from it.
Considering the enormity of the task at hand, Gottlieb said that in case the aforementioned plan becomes somewhat challenging for the FDA from a legal standpoint, they may reconsider and discuss with the federal government on how to collaboratively work towards the same. He said that considering the time frame that it might take for them to implement the rules, there may be a situation where additional interim legal intervention from the Congress may be warranted.
In hindsight, the federal government had legalized CBD as it considered the latter to be a potential for a burgeoning new industry. However, a lot of companies are taking advantage of this legalization and a lack of further rules to lace food and drinks with CBD.
Recovering from marijuana addiction
CBD, in the form of supplements and oils, has become widely available across the United States over the last few years. This trend seems to be picking up and the new frontier now is food, with local restaurants openly selling food and drinks laced with CBD. However, in the wake of lack of rules governing the production and manufacturing process of CBD-infused edibles, it is highly likely that the concentrations used in these are much higher than the permissible limits. This higher concentration of marijuana may lead to tolerance, which would gradually lead to dependence and then addiction.
If you or a loved one is battling marijuana addiction and is looking for reliable residential marijuana addiction treatment centers, feel free to get in touch with Mind Health Network by calling our 24/7 drug addiction helpline . At Mind Health Network, we offer comprehensive evidence-based treatment plans for patients dealing with substance abuse issues. You can also chat online with our experts who can guide you with marijuana addiction help and suggest a treatment plan best suited to your needs.
