FDA takes hard look at CBD

The US Food and Drug Administration took a good look at the safety and effectiveness of CBD products on Friday, as it weighs how to best regulate the hemp-derived compound going forward.

During a public hearing that stretched for hours, the agency heard testimony from folks on all sides of the issue.

In opening the hearing, FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless said, "critical questions remain about the safety" of the products, CNN reported.

"While we have seen an explosion of interest in products containing CBD, there is still much that we don't know," Sharpless added.

To say the market for CBD products has exploded in the past year would be an understatement.

Everything from oils to gummies to pills, creams and ointments are now for sale at supermarkets and specialty chains. You can even get massages infused with CBD, or cosmetics laced with the drug.

All of these products contain cannabidiol but not THC, the ingredient in pot that provides a "high."

CBD products have swamped the market not because of any new medical evidence, but because of a change in federal law.

Late last year, Congress passed a farm bill that lifted a decades-old ban on growing hemp. As long as the plant contains less than 0.3% THC, hemp can be grown legally anywhere in the United States by licensed farmers.

The bill specifically said the US Drug Enforcement Administration cannot regulate hemp products like CBD. So, it's now up to the FDA to manage the CBD craze.

But what do scientists really know about the health benefits and risks of CBD?

Precious little, experts say, and consumers should take care that they aren't wasting their money.

"You have a flood of CBD products that are coming from hemp that are going out onto the market, and you've got all sorts of claims being made about those from people who are trying to sell them," said Timothy Welty, chair of the department of clinical sciences at Drake University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, in Des Moines, Iowa.

The flood of CBD products has become so overwhelming that the FDA recently stepped into the fray.

The agency has whipped out a flurry of warning letters to companies marketing CBD products, telling them to stop making unfounded health claims for the substance. Companies have falsely claimed that CBD can stop cancer cells, slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, ease nerve pain and fibromyalgia, and curb withdrawal symptoms for people undergoing substance abuse treatment, the FDA letters state.

To date, there's only one use for CBD that has significant scientific evidence behind it -- curbing the symptoms of rare forms of epilepsy.

The FDA last year approved the drug Epidiolex to treat two forms of childhood epilepsy. The medical evidence has shown that the highly purified CBD in Epidiolex can ease seizures.

For the rest of CBD's potential uses, there is simply too little evidence to make a firm conclusion.

The next potential medical use for CBD could be for the symptoms of anxiety disorder, said Welty and Yasmin Hurd, chair of translational neuroscience and director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai, in New York City.                                                                                      

    HealthDays

 

FDA takes hard look at CBD

The US Food and Drug Administration took a good look at the safety and effectiveness of CBD products on Friday, as it weighs how to best regulate the hemp-derived compound going forward. During a public hearing that stretched for hours, the agency heard testimony from folks on all sides of the issue. In opening the hearing, FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless said, critical questions remain about the safety of the products, CNN reported. While we have seen an explosion of interest in products containing CBD, there is still much that we dont know, Sharpless added. To say the market for CBD products has exploded in the past year would be an understatement. Everything from oils to gummies to pills, creams and ointments are now for sale at supermarkets and specialty chains. You can even get massages infused with CBD, or cosmetics laced with the drug. All of these products contain cannabidiol but not THC, the ingredient in pot that provides a high. CBD products have swamped the market not because of any new medical evidence, but because of a change in federal law. Late last year, Congress passed a farm bill that lifted a decades-old ban on growing hemp. As long as the plant contains less than 0.3% THC, hemp can be grown legally anywhere in the United States by licensed farmers. The bill specifically said the US Drug Enforcement Administration cannot regulate hemp products like CBD. So, its now up to the FDA to manage the CBD craze. But what do scientists really know about the health benefits and risks of CBD? Precious little, experts say, and consumers should take care that they arent wasting their money. You have a flood of CBD products that are coming from hemp that are going out onto the market, and youve got all sorts of claims being made about those from people who are trying to sell them, said Timothy Welty, chair of the department of clinical sciences at Drake Universitys College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, in Des Moines, Iowa. The flood of CBD products has become so overwhelming that the FDA recently stepped into the fray. The agency has whipped out a flurry of warning letters to companies marketing CBD products, telling them to stop making unfounded health claims for the substance. Companies have falsely claimed that CBD can stop cancer cells, slow the progression of Alzheimers disease, ease nerve pain and fibromyalgia, and curb withdrawal symptoms for people undergoing substance abuse treatment, the FDA letters state. To date, theres only one use for CBD that has significant scientific evidence behind it -- curbing the symptoms of rare forms of epilepsy. The FDA last year approved the drug Epidiolex to treat two forms of childhood epilepsy. The medical evidence has shown that the highly purified CBD in Epidiolex can ease seizures. For the rest of CBDs potential uses, there is simply too little evidence to make a firm conclusion. The next potential medical use for CBD could be for the symptoms of anxiety disorder, said Welty and Yasmin Hurd, chair of translational neuroscience and director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai, in New York City. HealthDays