The new bill has been introduced in a bid to authorise the regulation of interstate commerce for CBD food and drinks derived from hemp.
The CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act of 2021 has been put forward to create a regulatory framework for CBD foodstuffs. The bill was introduced by US Representatives Kathleen Rice, Morgan Griffith, Angie Craig and Dan Crenshaw.
The bill would make it a requirement for experts to evaluate the safety of CBD food and drink products. The safety of the products would have to be shown through scientific evaluation under the conditions of intended use, and products would have to comply with other applicable requirements under the Act, as well as the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act.
The intention of the bill is to protect consumers and provide marketplace stability for farmers, producers and retailers.
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Representative Rice provided a statement on the bill, noting that: “CBD products are exploding in popularity, but the lack of federal regulation surrounding them has put consumers at risk and left businesses looking for clarity.
“The bipartisan CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act will establish the clear regulatory framework needed to provide stability for business and ensure unsafe products stay off the shelves. Thank you to my bipartisan colleagues for joining me in introducing this important legislation.”
Representative Griffith added: “Demand for CBD products has surged, but Food and Drug Administration regulations do not reflect this new reality.
“As a result, adulterated or unsafe products are available that threaten consumer health, and businesses lack clarity. The CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act would require the FDA to address the issue and ensure more certainty in the CBD marketplace. I’m pleased to join this bipartisan effort.”
The Consumer Brands Association and the US hemp industry’s national advocacy organisation, the US Hemp Roundtable, also issued statements in support of the bill.
Betsy Booren, senior vice president of the Regulatory and Technical, Consumer Brands Association, stated: “The CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act is a welcome step toward giving consumers consistency and promoting safety that goes across state lines.”
General Counsel, US Hemp Roundtable, Jonathan Miller, stated: “The hemp industry is grateful to Reps. Kathleen Rice, Morgan Griffith, Angie Craig and Dan Crenshaw for their introduction of the CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act. We strongly support requiring the FDA to regulate hemp extracts like CBD as food and beverage ingredients.”
Under the bill, the FDA would also be responsible for CBD content limits and determining which categories of food CBD is appropriate for use.
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