National Cannabis Industry Association Responds to FDA Statement on Cannabidiol (CBD) Regulation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 26, 2023

Contact:
Aaron Smith, CEO and Co-founder
(303) 223-3554
Bethany Moore, Director of Communications
(303) 223-9727
Communications@TheCannabisIndustry.org

National Cannabis Industry Association Responds to FDA Statement on Cannabidiol (CBD) Regulation

The Food and Drug Administration concludes a new regulatory pathway is needed for CBD products; advocates call for swift congressional action on cannabis policy

Washington, DC – Today the Food and Drug Administration announced that it has concluded that regulations governing food and supplements would not be appropriate for Cannabidiol (CBD) products and that the agency will work with Congress to develop a new way forward.

Cannabis industry advocates are disappointed with this result after the FDA’s protracted study of the issue since 2019 but are hopeful the decision will put more pressure on Congress to move to sensibly regulate CBD and other cannabis products.

“Today’s announcement by the FDA underscores the urgent need for Congress and the Administration to take swift action to modernize federal cannabis policy and regulate CBD and other products appropriately and in harmony with the vast majority of states that have already legalized cannabis in some form,” stated Aaron Smith, National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) CEO and Co-founder. “A vibrant state-regulated industry has formed to safely provide cannabinoid products and medicines to millions of Americans, which has the support of the vast majority of U.S. voters. Moving forward with bi-partisan federal cannabis reform this year would be both good public health policy and good politics.”

In 2019, NCIA published the white paper Adapting A Regulatory Framework For The Emerging Cannabis Industry, which outlined recommendations for four “regulatory lanes” for cannabis products, including CBD and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids.

A November 2022 Gallup survey found that 68% of Americans support making cannabis legal for adults and a recent Pew Research Center poll found that less than 10% of Americans still support marijuana prohibition.

# # #

The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is the largest cannabis trade association in the U.S. and the only one representing small cannabis businesses at the national level. NCIA promotes the growth of a responsible, sustainable, and inclusive cannabis industry and works for a favorable social, economic, and regulatory environment for that industry throughout the United States.

National Cannabis Industry Association Responds to Report of Federal Efforts to Discredit State Legalization

National Cannabis Industry Association Responds to Report of Federal Committee Directed to Discredit State Reforms, Ignore Positive Impacts of Legalizing Marijuana

Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, an article published in Buzzfeed News revealed details of a task force that was ostensibly created to inform the President on marijuana policy issues that are concerning to policy experts, state-licensed businesses, and advocates. The article contains internal memos that direct federal agencies to ignore data that shows positive impacts from regulating marijuana. These memos also ask those agencies to submit data which could be interpreted negatively, as well as instances and anecdotes that could be used to discredit legal cannabis programs.

“The directives given to this committee are biased, unscientific, and fly in the face of statements made by the President during his campaign and up to the present that he supports allowing states to determine their own marijuana policies without federal interference,” said Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA). “This is an unfortunate example of staff within the administration exaggerating potential negatives associated with legalization while ignoring the clear benefits of regulation, and discounting the harms caused by the outdated policies of prohibition.”

In May, NCIA released a State Progress Report that details the impacts of legalizing and regulating cannabis for adults, and covers topics including public safety, teen use and availability, economic impact, and potential effects on the nation’s opioid crisis.

“We are confident that the available data, when viewed objectively, clearly shows that regulating cannabis works,” continued Smith. “By just about every measure, state programs have been widely successful at replacing prohibition with sound regulations, in spite of federal prohibition. These voter-supported programs will continue to expand, regardless of the outdated opinions some may have within the federal government.”

Last month, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) introduced a bill that would mandate a wide-reaching study on the impacts of legalization and continued prohibition at the state and federal level.

“We look forward to a study conducted by an independent federal agency that isn’t invested in continuing marijuana prohibition,” said Smith.

National Cannabis Industry Association Responds to FDA Statement on Cannabidiol (CBD) Regulation