FSA Confirm CBD Products Can Continue to be Sold Without Enforcement

Friday 14th February 2020 - London

BRITISH CANNABIS® welcomes the clarity that has been provided by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) this week in their press releases and BBC appearances. We are of the opinion that it provides a route towards protecting CBD companies from enforcement and steering a direction for a compliant industry moving forwards.

Today’s update by the FSA should provide great assurance to our consumers, the CBD industry and CBD retailers, as for the first time, it provides clarification of a possible exemption from enforcement.

So, what will this mean for your CBD business?
1. While we still maintain that your CBD food products are not technically ‘novel’ if they have been naturally extracted from cannabis (i.e. are not isolate or synthetic in origin), we still see this FSA announcement as good news, if only to help ensure that all CBD products are safe, tested, transparent and compliant.

2. The media have focused on attention-drawing headlines, the likes of ‘CBD products to be removed from sale within the year’. The comforting reality is that, actually, CBD products have been confirmed as ‘safe for public consumption’ and credible CBD product manufacturers are now being provided a clear path to proving that their standards are compliant.

3. Essentially, you can be protected from enforcement if you submit and have validated your novel food authorisation applications before 31st March 2021.

4. BRITISH CANNABIS® can today confirm that all its products and ingredients will be covered by the exemption. So, any of our current and future clients will benefit from protection by enforcement.

5. The 70mg per day dosing recommendation from the FSA and COT is only advisory and, outside of those taking other medications or those who are pregnant, we are confident that the 200mg of CBD per day upper limit recommended by The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2016 should still apply.

6. The CBD industry can breathe a sigh of relief that the Novel Foods issue is finally drawing to a conclusion. If the FSA statement can be taken on face value, the industry can move forwards with no risk of enforcement.

7. The clarity and potential for future investment and growth in CBD supplements that this announcement will bring should be seen as positive news for all.

While there is some legal clarification required around a couple of points, please read this white paper attached to find out exactly how this change will impact your business and how to take advantage of the opportunity that has been handed to us:

Click here to view it now….

Novel Foods Update February 2020

Please get in touch, or come and see us at the Hemp and CBD Expo, on Saturday 29th February and Sunday 1st March, at the NEC, Birmingham, in order to discuss any concerns you may have. We would be delighted to see you.

Tom Whettem

CEO British Cannabis