FSA enforces deadline for CBD companies

It has been revealed that by next year CBD products including oils, snacks and drinks could be removed from store shelves if the companies do not get regulatory approval. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised CBD companies that their products need to be registered by March 2021 or they would be removed from the market. The FSA has also issued new advice when it comes to using CBD, advising that it should not be taken alongside other types of medications. 

Cannabidiol (CBD) comes from the cannabis plant, however, CBD does not have any psychoactive properties. CBD products can be found in pharmacies and health food shops as a food supplement and are used to treat a variety of different conditions and ailments. The sales of CBD products have been rising consistently for the last few years, although the FSA only began regulating the CBD market at the beginning of last year, although people involved in the industry have been calling for it for a lot longer. 

In previous trials, it has been found that a large number of CBD products being sold contain unlisted and possibly hazardous ingredients, including illegal levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is a cannabinoid with psychoactive properties. It was also found that many of these products that were tested contained little or none of the CBD quantities their labels stated, despite their high prices. Due to these findings, there was a call for clearer and stricter regulations to be put in place when it comes to the sale of CBD products.

The FSA has also revealed that CBD companies have also been slow to get their products approved which they have said has forced them to impose this deadline for next year. Although CBD products have been sold in the UK for years, the FSA has not been quick to impose any regulations, however, this move is a strong statement, and hopefully the beginning of a better regulated CBD industry. The FSA had hoped that companies would willingly step forward and provide product information, however as not enough documentation was provided, the regulator has now enforced this deadline- and if it is not adhered to then products will be removed from the shelves. So if companies want to be a part of the UK’s multi-million pound CBD industry, this deadline should be the motivation to comply. 

Although currently, CBD products are not able to make any health claims, many users swear that CBD helps from mental health problems to coping with certain diseases and ailments- so the FSA’s advice to not consume CBD products alongside other medications may be a shock to some. Although these new deadlines and advice have been released by the FSA it is evident that there is still not enough known about the cannabinoid to be sure about any risks. However, these new guidelines could be the step in the right direction for the CBD industry, although it does not cover CBD products that are for cosmetic, vaping or medicinal purposes, which are subject to different regulations.