In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration, the Food Marketing Institute is asking for clarity in how CBDs can be used in foods sold in grocery stores.

FMI filed comments in response to the FDA’s request for scientific data and information about products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. The 2018 Farm Bill allows for the production and commercialization of hemp and hemp-derivatives like cannabidiol (CBD), but the new law explicitly preserves FDA’s authority over the use of such ingredients in FDA-regulated products. 

 In its comments, FMI discussed the significant confusion surrounding these products for the public, suppliers and retailers, and state regulators, urging FDA to provide additional clarity and establish a pathway forward for the use of hemp and hemp-derived ingredients.

“Consumer interest in hemp and hemp-derived products, especially those containing CBD, continues to grow rapidly, and the market is far too large to remain unregulated,” FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin said in the letter. “Food retailers need a clear and comprehensive regulatory framework for the sale and labeling of these products in order to ensure they are marketed in a safe, responsible fashion. We urge FDA to provide guidance governing the production, sale, quality and marketing of consumer goods that contain cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. The agency’s guidance would also be a tool to help facilitate consistent enforcement and oversight.”