A Republican congressional committee chairman is demanding that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) turn over documents relating to the agency’s decision not to regulate CBD products.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf on Monday, announcing an investigation into the agency’s decision and criticizing the “insufficient rationale for inaction” on CBD regulations.
FDA said in January that, after years of review since hemp and its derivatives like CBD were legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, it determined that there is not a regulatory pathway in place to enact rules allowing the non-intoxicating cannabinoid to be marketed as a food item or dietary supplement. It said that congressional action is required to develop CBD regulations.
Prior to that announcement, Comer had pledged to confront FDA over the lack of regulations for cannabidiol in his capacity as Oversight Committee chairman.
“CBD is an increasingly popular product among adults and has seen an uptick in usage in recent years,” the letter to Califf says, adding that the World Health Organization (WHO) has found CBD to be generally safe and well-tolerated.
“As science is catching up regarding the safety of CBD usage, it is imperative that the FDA recognize its role in regulating these products,” he wrote. “The lack of regulation of non-intoxicating CBD products have allowed for…
