Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CBD Products Need More Regulation, FDA Says
The FDA is giving up on trying to figure out a way to regulate CBD on its own. The agency announced Thursday that it is formally calling on Congress for help — and, according to one official, looking for guidance on other hemp products like Delta 8 THC, too. (Florko, 1/26)
There’s bad news for cannabidiol fans. The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that products infused with CBD, which is derived from cannabis or hemp and used in items as varied as soap and seltzer, do not appear to meet federal safety standards and require stricter regulations. The announcement was a blow to the burgeoning CBD industry, which had hoped the agency would greenlight CBD’s use. Instead, the agency asked Congress to pass new regulations governing its use. (Reiley and Gilbert, 1/26)
As part of the announcement, the agency said it was denying three citizen petitions that had asked for FDA rule-making to allow the marketing of CBD products as dietary supplements — an idea that had gained some traction on Capitol Hill. In 2021, Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader and 45 other Democrats introduced a bill to regulate CBD as a dietary substance. (Cohen, 1/26)
In news about medical marijuana in Mississippi and Georgia —
Patients have started buying medical marijuana in Mississippi, nearly a year after the products were legalized in the state. The Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association said in a news release Thursday that the first purchases happened Wednesday at The Cannabis Company in Brookhaven and at two dispensaries in Oxford — Hybrid Relief and Star Buds. (1/26)
Legal sales of medical marijuana oil could be only months away in Georgia after a state commission approved rules for testing, inspections and sales. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted unanimously to approve the rules on Wednesday. (1/26)
