It has been observed that there is a ‘Fundamental Lack of Knowledge’ among consumers about CBD. The latest news in this regard is here:
- The CBD Insider has published the insights from its US CBD Consumer Report 2019, which indicated the “lack of fundamental knowledge” among consumers about hemp and CBD.
- The FDA has published a progress report on its regulatory policymaking for CBD after weeks of delay.
CBD News Stories
- Report: Lack Of Fundamental Knowledge of CBD & Hemp Among Consumers
- FDA Publishes Report on Progression of CBD Policy
Report: ‘Lack of Fundamental Knowledge’ Among Consumers About Hemp And CBD
According to a report, there is a “lack of fundamental knowledge” among consumers about CBD.
This week, the CBD Insider published the insights of its US CBD Consumer Report 2109, which consists of many results obtained from more than 1000 respondents by an online survey.
According to one such analysis, four in five CBD consumers—potential, past, and current consumers—do not know the difference between CBD isolate, broad-spectrum hemp extract, and full-spectrum hemp extract.
Approximately two in three current users of CBD also did not know the difference between the three hemp extracts.
The report stated, “The fact that most current consumers lacked awareness about an essential component of CBD products demonstrates how crucial it is for brands to educate the consumers.”
It was observed in another finding that nearly half of the potential consumers had not used the CBD yet due to lack of knowledge about it.
The report stated, “nearly half of the potential consumers said they had not used CBD because they did not have enough information about it.”
According to the survey, a significant number of consumers were not confident about the amount of CBD to be taken.
About 27.6% of current and past consumers did not know about the amount of CBD to be taken per serving.
It had also been revealed in the report that more than half of current consumers started utilizing CBD in 2019.
The report said, “ in the 2018 Farm Bill, the complete legalization of hemp and retailers like Kroger, Walgreens, and CVS Pharmacy providing CBD products to their customers undoubtedly led to the number of new consumers.”
Another significant finding was that 82.6% of current and past consumers had not encountered any side effects while taking CBD.
The most common side effects observed was drowsiness and dry mouth among those who reported having side effects.
The full report is expected to be released soon.
FDA Releases Publishes Report On Progression Of CBD Policy
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has submitted a delayed report to Congress about its improvement in CBD policy.
In the report, the FDA “specifies an action plan that involves accessing issuance of a risk-based enforcement policy that would offer greater accountability and clarification on the enforcement priorities of FDA while FDA potentially involves in the process of a rulemaking.”
On December 20, 2019, when federal spending bills were signed into law, a 60-day deadline for the FDA to provide this progress report on CBD policymaking to Congress was attached to them.
This deadline in February was breached by the agency, and the report was submitted on March 5, 2020.
The report details initially outline the work that the FDA has done so far and still it has concerns about CBD, including, mislabeled products, its ability to damage the liver, and the chances for “contamination” with compounds like heavy metals and THC.
The agency had listed several particular questions which it wants to answer:
- How do different methods of exposure affect intake (e.g., oral consumption, topical,
- What level of intake triggers the known risks associated with CBD?
- What happens if you use CBD daily for sustained periods of time?
- What are the effects of CBD on an unborn child or breastfed newborn?
- What is the effect of CBD on the developing brain (such as children who take CBD)?
- smoking or vaping)?
- Are there differing safety concerns for use in certain animal species, breeds, or classes?
- Are any residues formed in edible tissues of food producing animals?
- Does CBD cause male reproductive toxicity in humans, as has been reported in studies of animals?
- How does CBD interact with herbs and botanicals?
The agency also stated that it is looking for the information on broad-spectrum and full-spectrum hemp extracts, which “will be crucial to informing our assessment of the regulatory status of such products.”
Currently, the FDA is in the process of conducting a product sampling study “to estimate the degree to which products are adulterated or mislabeled,” as instructed by Congress in the appropriations legislation.
Stakeholders in the hemp industry found some of the FDA’s perceptions valued but were not satisfied with the time the agency has taken to create a CBD policy.
US Hemp Roundtable, a leading organization in the industry, said in an email, “The delay by the agency creates the worst of both worlds. U.S. hemp farmers are refused profitable markets for their crops, while unregulated products with no protection for public health and safety keep increasing.”
The Roundtable had urged its advocates to contact their representatives in Congress to pass H.R. 5587, a bill that would legalize the CBD nutritional supplement and allow its regulation by the FDA.
Roundtable said, “We address Congress to force FDA’s hand, recognize CBD and other hemp products as legal substances, and demand the agency to adopt a regulatory plan to protect consumers and empower the U.S. hemp farming.”
