On Dec. 16, Congress punted on legislation to regulate the growing CBD industry and set a safe level of daily consumption. The conference report directs funding for research, policy evaluation, market surveillance and enforcement discretion related to CBD and hemp. Unlike legislation, the conference report does not have the force of law.

The Natural Products Association (NPA) supports legislation introduced by Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-CA) that would appropriate $100,000 for the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) to perform a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) and set a safe level of CBD for consumers to use each day. The legislation passed the House of Representatives in June of this year and follows the same precedent as red yeast rice, which allows a natural product to contain a level of a drug ingredient that the FDA has determined to be safe.

“While providing funding for testing is a positive first step, unfortunately, today’s action falls short of what is needed to protect consumers. The future of the U.S. hemp industry and the farmers and producers who provide it are directly tied to smart regulations for CBD, which includes FDA establishing a safe level of consumption so consumers are protected,” said Daniel Fabricant, PhD, president and CEO of NPA. “We are concerned that if Congress fails to act next year then we could see another vaping-like public health crisis. While we are proud to be the only association to work on real legislation to regulate the CBD market, we are disappointed that Congress ultimately decided not to act. We appreciate the leadership of Congressman McNerney and look forward to working next year on a way to ensure consumers are protected.”

For more information, visit www.npanational.org.