BigLaw Attorneys Queue To Testify About CBD

CBD, the over-the-counter, cannabis-based wonder drug that promoters claim can relieve pain, address anxiety and depression, ease cancer symptoms, reduce acne, benefit people with neurological disorders, treat high blood pressure, act as an anti-psychotic and prevent diabetes, is now the subject of a concerted effort by cannabis companies to ease FDA rules concerning its use and preparation. CBD is made from the cannabis compounds that don’t get you high and were generally flushed down the toilet in the days of illegal marijuana, but CBD products have exploded in recent years, and include candies, oils and balms, and more recently cheese pizza, fruit smoothies and pet food. The 2018 farm bill removed hemp and derivatives like CBD from the controlled substance list, but preserved the FDA.’s authority to regulate cannabis compounds. A recent hearing in Washington to begin the process of figuring out which CBD products can be legally sold in the United States drew more than 400 applicants for a chance to testify, including blue chip law firms. An attorney with Alston & Bird called CBD the “new gold rush,” and suggested the FDA might use its regulation of folic acid as a road map for regulating the substance. Consumers can buy folic acid over the counter for some uses, but it must be prescribed by doctors at higher concentrations. A lawyer for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable testified that CBD is safe but called on the agency to police bad players in the industry that make false claims or sell bad products.