An announcement from Washington State regulators regarding foods with cannabidiol (CBD) made it clear that the sales of CBD infused food products were banned.
Washington State Department of Agriculture stated "Recent changes in the hemp legislation of Fed and state have attracted so many questions about the CBD extracts and the legality about using the same as an ingredient in food products" They announced, "CBD is not allowed to be used as an ingredient in any food as per the law of Fed and State".
Notably, World health organization's fact sheet says "CBD is not THC, and it won't create any psychoactive effect" Then why Washington State bans CBD food products?
Licensed cannabis retail stores and companies sell CBD products in their offering. They can continue to do so even after the announcement. That way, it's clear that the change to the legislation won't affect the access to the CBD products through cannabis retailers.
At the same time, the board said that they will avoid cracking down the state-wide sales of CBD food products" It is clear that retail presence of the said products in stores and fuel stations won't be affected either.
As per the statement from an official who works with Washington State department of agriculture, "manufacturers and sellers of CBD products will find their way to stay relevant to the compliance as they learn that selling of CBD food products is not official either in Fed or State law".
Such a statement from the official explains how difficult is that to prevent or bring down the number of CBD sellers in the state. Also, it explains how such an uncountable number of CBD products are available in the stores for sale within the Washington State and across the nation.
A post from cannabis radar, a news website reports "the legislation changes in other parts of the country was not very successful in keeping things in line with the rules". Further, it seems the officials would make it in a gradual and educative manner while implementing the changes rather than a harsh widespread tracking and cracking of the sale of CBD products.
The rules and regulations on CBD usage and sales remain confusing among users and sellers. Conspicuously, the CBD legislation has not settled down yet, the agency keep changing it very often, and the ground reality doesn't reflect the changes after implementation. (FDA) Food and Drug Administration seems to be the major reason for such a state in CBD industry.
Scott Gottlieb, the ex-commissioner of the FDA says in a Washington Post, "regulating CBD in the food industry will take multiple years. FDA has to evaluate a lot of scientific evidence before implementing any changes to the CBD legislation. He added, "any CBD food or dietary can be considered as legal only if there is a regulation issued by FDA that allows its use".
From a layman's point, the FDA's stance that is keen on evaluating the health benefits of CBD should be appreciated. At least for the time being, based on the non-psycho active nature of CBD, the regulating authority should allow the State governments to make decisions on allowing CBD products in the market.