A bill has been reintroduced that ensures we can continue to use CBD supplements to stay healthy—it needs our support. Action Alert!
For a while now, we’ve been telling you about the FDA’s attack on CBD oil, a natural, safe, and non-addictive alternative to dangerous opioid drugs. The FDA upped the ante earlier this year when they released a statement explaining that the “existing regulatory framework” for foods and supplements are not appropriate for CBD and that a new regulatory pathway is needed. This is why it’s more important than ever to support a bill that would protect hemp-derived CBD supplements from the federal government.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), amends the law to provide an exemption for hemp-derived CBD from rules that apply to dietary supplements when there is an approved drug with that ingredient or if that ingredient is being investigated as a new drug. This has to do with the FDA back-channel that also threatens NMN supplements .
You can read some of our recent coverage for more detail on this back-channel, but it boils down to this. The FDA has approved a CBD drug, Epidiolex, which costs $32,500 a year. This means that, in the agency’s view, CBD can’t be a supplement unless there is evidence that it was marketed as a food or a supplement before it was studied as a drug. The FDA has concluded that no such evidence exists, therefore CBD does not meet the definition of a supplement. The FDA could issue a rulemaking specifically allowing CBD in supplements despite the existence of the drug, but it has (predictably) declined to do so. This is why we need Congress to step in and act.
The FDA has consistently complained that there isn’t enough safety data to support the use of CBD in supplements. This is a smokescreen to protect drug industry profits. A 2020 meta-analysis looked at human trials to assess CBD efficacy and safety. The authors concluded that most studies reported no adverse events with acute administration of CBD and mild to moderate effects with chronic administration, with the most common side effects being tiredness, diarrhea and changes of appetite/weight. Harvard Health Publishing, the publication of the Harvard Medical School, states simply that, for adults, “CBD appears to be very safe.”
Cannabinoids have been consumed safely in a variety of foods and herbal products for decades in things like hemp oil, Echinacea, black truffles, and cacao. As far back as 2900 BC, cannabis was noted for its medicinal effects. We also generate cannabinoids internally when we engage in rhythmic exercise like walking, jogging, and swimming.
Access to affordable CBD would help a wide variety of patients. We’re learning more and more about the benefits of CBD as more research gets conducted. There is research supporting its use for pain, anxiety, depression, certain cancers, and even heart health. We cannot let the FDA stand in the way of wider access to this naturally occurring compound.
Action Alert! Write to Congress in support that allow CBD in dietary supplements. Please send your message immediately.
