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The FDA has issued warning letters to 15 companies for illegally selling products containing cannabidiol in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act...“We remain concerned that some people wrongly think that the myriad of CBD products on the market, many of which are illegal, have been evaluated by the FDA and determined to be safe, or that trying CBD ‘can’t hurt,’” said FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy,...“Aside from one prescription drug approved to treat two pediatric epilepsy disorders, these products have not been approved by the FDA and we want to be clear that a number of questions remain regarding CBD’s safety—including reports of products containing contaminants, such as pesticides and heavy metals— and there are real risks that need to be considered.”...READ MORE

The Food and Drug Administration has announced new measures to strengthen its regulation and oversight of dietary supplements, which have not been reviewed by the regulator...FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said: “It’s clear that the US Food and Drug Administration plays an important role in helping consumers make use of safe, high-quality dietary supplements while also protecting Americans from the potential dangers of products that don’t meet the agency’s standards for marketing...the FDA is committing to new priorities when it comes to our oversight of dietary supplements at the same time that we carefully evaluate what more we can do to meet the challenge of effectively overseeing the dietary supplement market while still preserving the balance struck by Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act...the FDA posted 12 warning letters and five online advisory letters to US and international companies, which are illegally selling more than 58 products, primarily dietary supplements, as treatments for serious health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, when their safety and efficacy is unknown...The companies contacted include Nutrition Coalition, TEK Naturals, Sovereign Laboratories and DK Vitamins...

Retail chains led by CVS Health and Walgreens Boots Alliance are expected to dominate the emerging multi-billion-dollar U.S. market of CBD, the compound derived from cannabis...CBD is gaining in popularity among consumers with the legal CBD market projected to surpass $23 billion in annual U.S. sales by 2023...This year, such sales are projected to be $5 billion - a sevenfold increase over 2018...“The CBD market has been growing rapidly, but we will see unprecedented growth in 2019,”...“The bulk of this growth is coming from large retailers like CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger entering the market and providing that availability to consumers.”...READ MORE

Scott Gottlieb (Former FDA Commissioner) warns that health benefit claims about CBD have gotten well ahead of what science actually knows about the substance...“The idea that you can put it in dog food and it’s going to calm your dog ... I think that’s pretty hokey,” he says...CBD is not a “benign compound,” and regulations will be needed to protect people from possible unknown side effects, Gottlieb said...READ MORE