The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just announced plans to reconsider current regulations prohibiting the use of CBD — short for cannabidiol, a non-intoxicant component of cannabis — as a food ingredient.
CBD consumption in whatever form may or may not turn out to be one of the major lifestyle trends of 2019, but numerous health benefits have been claimed for it, and CBD oil and a wide range of items containing the substance are now sold in health food stores and elsewhere.
It is still technically banned for food use, however, as well as for dietary supplements and inclusion in body care products.
The FDA acknowledges that guidelines for the use of CBD are confusing, with some regulations seemingly approving its use while others prevent it.
As a result, FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb has announced that his agency will form an internal working group to set new guidelines for the use of CBD. There will also be a public hearing on May 31 at which input from stakeholders — which will presumably include representatives of the nation’s ten largest legal marijuana companies — will be solicited.
The day may soon be here when that fast-food worker at your local burger place asks “Want DBD with that?”