House Introduces CBD Food Bill

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—A new CBD bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, reports Natural Products Insider. The CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act of 2021 would establish standards for hemp-derived CBD in food and direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue regulations for labeling and packaging requirements, as well as conditions of use.

“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,” Rep. Kathleen Rice, a sponsor of the bill, said in a press release.

Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) introduced the bill, which would require the FDA to set CBD content limits and packaging and labeling requirements, as well as allow the FDA to determine the categories of food in which CBD is appropriate for use. The bill is focused on food rather than dietary supplements, which is the subject of another bill, the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act, which was introduced in the House last February and seeks to approve CBD in dietary supplements.

Rice added the bill “will establish the clear regulatory framework needed to provide stability for business and ensure unsafe products stay off shelves.”

The FDA said that U.S. law does not allow CBD in conventional food because it was first studied as a drug.

For more on CBD and how c-stores can responsibly leverage interest in CBD, read “The CBD Wellness Era” in the January issue of NACS Magazine.

Compliance and regulations