FDA Announces $ 5 Million Budget Required to Develop CBD Industry
In February 2020, Congress received a budget request from Trump, to fund CBD initiatives. According to analysts, this project may receive bipartisan support.
Full Approval
In 2014, cannabis products appeared on the market after the passage of the Farm Bill. In 2018, cannabis was excluded from the list of controlled substances that are regulated by the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (the exception is the drug THC).
Over the past period, a huge amount of products containing CBD have entered the market, but there is still no act to regulate these products.
According to the budget request information, this funding will allow the FDA to control the production of dietary, food and feed additives containing cannabidiol. Funds will also be used for product inspection and research.
Loren Israelsen, president of the United Natural Products Alliance, said FDA funding can help control producers who supply cannabis extracts and isolates as well as finished products. Loren also said that the FDA should be more active in matters of safety and sorting such kinds of products, as they have the right to do so.
Step Forward
According to Daniel Fabricant, PhD, President and CEO of the Natural Products Association, the best move is to establish a safe level of daily CBD intake. This step will allow the industry to move forward, and will also determine the overall safe level of exposure for cannabidiol, which should be considered in food, dietary supplements and drinks manufacturing.
Payment For Delay
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, Steve Mister, approves the increase in funding, but says that it is too late. According to him, in 2016, the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs had the opportunity to receive $3 million to increase the staff to 37 people. However, the FDA indicated that more FTEs and up to 52 employees are needed to regulate the $46 billion supplement market.
Mister noted that funding would have be relevant a year ago at the time of the adoption of the law on farms. Now the FDA will have to “pay” for inaction.
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