By Ramone Tarnaski

A new law, which was introduced in the USA last week, is to provide guidelines for the production of cannabidiol from hemp and other hemp extracts from hemp for quality assurance. The status of CBD has been an absolute no-man's land for years as the FDA struggles to develop regulations. Last month it published the results of its first-ever large-scale study to collect data on the effects of cannabis on human and animal health and on animal health.

It is clear that regulation is still a long way off, but the industry needs guidance, and consumers need protection that they do not have at the moment. The confusion about the legal status of cannabidiol in the United States is not really good for anyone, nor for consumers.

A 2019 survey found that many Americans do not know that there is a federal standard for cannabidiol (CBD) that has not yet been developed. In September last year, Representatives Kurt Schrader and Morgan Griffith passed legislation to work toward that goal. Unfortunately, the bill died in Congress.

The bill was reintroduced as H.R. 841, which legalized hemp-derived CBD for medical use in the United States. We welcome the reintroduction of the CBD law and the legalization of hemp ingredients for medicinal purposes.

Representatives Schrader and Griffith have shown real leadership on this issue, and "we expect congressional support to continue to grow", said Michael O'Brien, a spokesman for the coalition. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), which is also behind the law, says "there are still concerns that hemp-derived CBD has led to bad actors coming onto the market and posing a threat to consumers, but this law would be a positive step forward to address the situation".