U.S. Representatives Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Regulate CBD in Food & Beverages

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This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s January 2022 Industry Newsletter

By Steve Hoffman

U.S. Representatives Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Angie Craig (D-MN) and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) on December 2 introduced the CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed, the bipartisan bill would call for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to create a regulatory and enforcement structure for hemp-derived cannabinoids such as CBD as an ingredient in food and beverage products, and to provide recommendations on maximum daily usage and provide packaging and serving guidelines.

Previous federal legislation has been proposed to regulate CBD as a dietary supplement and functional food ingredient, including H.R. 841, introduced in February 2021 in the U.S. House of Representatives, and S. 1698, introduced in May 2021 in the U.S. Senate, reported Let’s Talk Hemp. “CBD products are exploding in popularity, but the lack of federal regulation surrounding them has put consumers at risk and left businesses looking for clarity,” lead sponsor of the new bill, Rep. Rice, said in a press release. 

“The hemp industry is grateful to Reps. Kathleen Rice, Morgan Griffith, Angie Craig and Dan Crenshaw for their introduction of The CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act. We strongly support requiring the FDA to regulate hemp extracts like CBD as food and beverage ingredients, U.S. Hemp Roundtable General Counsel Jonathan Miller said in a statement. “We look forward to working with the bill sponsors to ensure that this legislation provides the broadest range of protections for hemp extract products for human and animal consumption, and to serve as a strong complement to H.R. 841, introduced by Rep. Kurt Schrader and supported by 35 co-sponsors, which would require FDA to regulate CBD in dietary supplements,” Miller said.