Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting an update to federal regulations on cannabidiol (CBD) to "give U.S. producers more flexibility in the production, consumption, and sale of hemp products." Wyden and Merkley urge FDA to answer a series of clarifying questions, including "What lawful pathways are currently available for those who seek approval to introduce Cannabis sativa L. and its derivatives as a food, beverages or dietary supplement, including into interstate commerce?" and "Are there circumstances in which Cannabis sativa L. and its derivatives may be permitted as a food, beverages or dietary supplement by the agency?" “Farmers in Oregon and nationwide are poised to make real economic gains for their communities once these regulations are updated,” a press release quotes Wyden and Merkley as saying. “We will be closely engaged in the ongoing implementation…
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The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), which consolidates 14 Canadian food safety laws into one set of rules, went into effect January 15, 2019. The final rules were published in June 2018 and aim to "provide clear and consistent rules for food commodities so consumers can be confident that food on grocery shelves is safer to eat, whether it is produced in Canada or abroad." The rules align with many U.S. rules to streamline importing and exporting of food products between the countries. In addition, Health Canada has proposed rules for the sale of cannabis, including the proposed creation of "edible cannabis," "cannabis extracts" and "cannabis topicals" classes of products. The agency also proposed "new regulatory controls to address the public health and public safety risks associated with these new classes of cannabis, including their appeal to youth and the risks of accidental consumption, overconsumption, and foodborne illness, among other…
The December passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, or the Farm Bill, has resulted in several publications speculating about the effects of the bill's legalization of industrial hemp on the cannabidiol (CBD) market. The law, which removed "hemp" from the definition of "marijuana" in the Controlled Substances Act, may "make CBD production legal and cheaper," according to Forbes, while MarketWatch explains that CBD "will remain largely off-limits" in the near future. Rolling Stone predicts that CBD is "poised for [a] boom," while Vox suggests that "CBD is bound to become even more visible," although "[i]ts legal status remains unclear." Fortune notes that cultivating hemp will be legal but heavily regulated, and the shutdown of the federal government has delayed cultivation approvals during the period when farmers are planning crop rotations and sourcing seeds for 2019, according to PBS NewsHour. Meanwhile, California legislation banning the use of CBD in…
Oklahoma’s Board of Health has unanimously approved recommendations from the state’s Medical Marijuana Food Safety Standards Board on health and safety requirements for producing cannabis-infused foods, according to Tulsa World. The standards incorporate existing state food regulations but will add stricter criteria and tests, including testing for cannabinoid potency, heavy-metals levels and chemical residues.
Food Navigator reports that a market research company has predicted a "coming flood of mainstream investment in cannabis in general and the edibles sector in particular." The firm suggests that legalization of cannabis products across the United States could create a market between $40 billion and $70 billion. Growth in the edibles category outpaced growth in other cannabis categories, the report authors note, with sales especially focused on the candy and chocolate categories, which account for about 60 percent of edibles sales. On November 6, 2018, Michigan voters passed a ballot measure to allow recreational marijuana in the state, making it the tenth state to legalize cannabis products; a similar measure in North Dakota failed to pass. Missouri and Utah voters also approved a ballot initiative to allow marijuana for medical purposes, which is now legal in 33 states.
