In January 2023, the FDA announced that it would not regulate CBD products, much to the disappointment of the industry. Instead, it stated it would be up to Congress to look at regulating the products.
The development led to a call from Congress in July for information regarding the regulation of Cannabidiol Products, which the U.S. Hemp Roundtable – the hemp industry’s national advocacy organisation – has now submitted a response to.
In a 50-page document, the organisation responds to questions on topics such as current market dynamics, how a lack of standards is affecting the market, how such products should be defined, public health impact, product standards and more.
As part of the call for information, Congress asked how appropriate limits for THC should be identified along with other cannabinoids, and how a framework should account for total THC.
In this regard, included in the Hemp Roundtable document is a white paper on the recommended limit for upper THC levels in CBD products.
READ MORE: Global Regulators Urged to Adopt Cannabis Product Symbol
The white paper states: “By establishing a clear and evidence-based upper THC limit, lawmakers can strike a balance between providing safe and efficacious dietary supplement products and safeguarding public health.
“Advocating for the implementation of an upper serving limit of 5 mg of orally ingested THC is analogous to the .5% Alcohol by Volume limit on food products before they are classified as alcohol and considered adulterated food.
“Due to the inherent differences between foods and dietary supplements, namely the significantly smaller serving sizes for dietary supplements, we recommend a discrete upper limit cap rather than a percentage by weight or volume.”
Additionally, the U.S. Hemp Roundtable explores the problem of synthetic cannabinoids, highlighting that the current negative market and economic conditions surrounding CBD have driven a market for chemically converted cannabinoids such as Delta-8 “may be marketed for their intoxicating effects.”
“Thus, a framework for the regulation of CBD products should encompass other cannabinoid products, and as described below, should regulate products that are scientifically shown to have impairing effects separately from non-impairing products,” the authors write.
To read the full response to Congress from the U.S Hemp Roundtable, please visit: https://hempsupporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/USHR-Response-to-Congressional-RFI.pdf
