Growing Pains: Fresh Challenges For The UK's CBD Industry

David Hardstaff and John Binns of BCL Solicitors LLP discuss the regulatory landscape in the UK following the EFSA's decision to pause all novel foods evaluations for CBD products.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has dealt a blow to the European and UK CBD industries, identifying several hazards related to CBD intake and pointing out deficiencies in both the experimental animal and human research data.

The EFSA's ‘Statement on safety of cannabidiol as a novel food: data gaps and uncertainties' is intended to ensure the ‘harmonised scientific assessment' of novel foods in the EU.

However, its findings primarily highlight a lack of sufficient evidence needed to fully assess the safety of CBD as a food. Whilst the findings are not binding on UK regulators, the beleaguered UK CBD industry must now brace itself for its inevitable fallout.