Recent FSA Statements About CBD

The FSA or Food Standards Agency has given the CBD industry a 31 March 2021 deadline to submit valid novel food authorisation applications. This applies to Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. This announcement will have no impact on anyone who is medically prescribed CBD or cannabis. If this deadline is ignored or not met, products run the risk of being prohibited from being sold on the market. After the deadline passes, only those products that have submitted a valid application will be allowed to be sold.

The FSA says that the authorisation process is set in place to ensure novel foods meet legal standards of on safety and content. Novel food legislation is enforced by local authorities. The FSA recently advised local authorities “that businesses should be able to sell their existing CBD products during this time provided they are not incorrectly labelled, are not unsafe to eat and do not contain substances that fall under drugs legislation.”

The Food Standards Agency at the advice of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment or COT for short, has provisions in the deadline set by the FSA for CBD businesses to provide more information about CBD products and their contents. The COT is compiled by an independent scientific committee which advises the FSA and other departments and agencies on the subject of toxic chemicals.

The FSA also suggests that vulnerable groups such as seniors or those with preexisting conditions should not take CBD. They also suggest that healthy adults should not consume over 70 mg of CBD per day, as you can see in the quote below from Emily Miles, Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency.

Women who are pregnant, as well as those who are breastfeeding, are advised by the COT and FSA not to consume CBD. All of this comes on the limited science that is available on the safety and effectiveness of CBD. As more research is conducted in a scientific manner, statements regarding CBD products may be revised in the future.

“CBD products are widely available on the high street but are not properly authorised. The CBD industry must provide more information about the safety and contents of these products to the regulator before 31 March 2021, or the products will be taken off the shelves. Also, today, we are advising that CBD could be risky for vulnerable groups and suggesting an upper limit of 70 mg a day for everyone else taking the product. The actions that we’re taking today are a pragmatic and proportionate step in balancing the protection of public health with consumer choice. It’s now up to industry to supply this information so that the public can be reassured that CBD is safe and what it says it is.”

What Does This Mean for CBD Businesses?

People have been turning to cannabidiol or CBD to help them with all kinds of things. While CBD has some proof of effectiveness, sadly, that’s not what you always get when you buy a CBD product. The deadline issued by the FSA means that as of 31 March 2021, if you’re product isn’t up to a standard that you will not be able to sell it anymore.

This will, without a doubt, let you see which brands are true to what they say. When a CBD product works well, news of this travels fast between family and friends. The story of CBD helping with all kinds of things has spread like soft butter on warm bread.

Consumers report finding relief from pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, loss of appetite, alcohol and tobacco addiction, and more. Professional athletes from baseball, basketball, MMA, football, soccer, and other sports are announcing how CBD has helped them. Regular everyday people looking for help managing the symptoms of arthritis, pain, and more are continually giving testimonials to the effectiveness of CBD.

With the ever-increasing demand for CBD products, the FSA has an essential job of ensuring public safety as this new uncharted business unfolds. When it comes to CBD products, there seems to be limitless options on how to take your CBD. From CBD vape oil to CBD oil and everything in between, regulations regarding CBD are only going to get tighter as harmful products are weeded out.