HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal asked the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the ingredient found in cannabis known as Cannabidiol, or CBD, on Tuesday morning.
Blumenthal says the untested products could potentially put thousands of consumers at risk.
“Consumers need and deserve guidance. So do manufacturers and hemp growers. That is why I am calling on the FDA to establish a regulatory framework as it has promised to do for these products,” said Blumenthal.
CBD has become popular among consumers nationwide especially after being credited for combating a wide range of medical conditions. But the FDA has yet to step in to make sure companies throughout the industry are playing safe and fair with the products they advertise.
“Right now, we are in the wild west of Hemp Products. Some are potentially enormously beneficial to consumers but the claims for some of them are outlandish and potentially deceptive and misleading,” said Blumenthal.
WEB EXTRA: Senator Blumenthal holds press conference on regulation of CBD
Which is why Blumenthal says the federal regulation is needed and experts at the Affinity Health and Wellness Center in New Haven agree.
“That’s part of the problem with any industry that’s so new is without those regulations being there that are consistent with every single company, it makes it hard for the companies that are creating good quality products that are third party tested,” said Brian Essenter, Dispensary Manager, Affinity Health and Wellness.
Brian Essenter is a pharmacist by trade and manages the Local Connecticut Dispensary. He says the bad actors in the CBD industry have made it hard for companies trying to do the right thing by their patients.
“When you have those bad actors that are spending their money on their marketing and the look of the product so it looks appealing and that’s when you’re giving your patients that are purchasing those products the idea that there is some kind of benefit, in reality it’s more likely a placebo effect if anything and they could be doing more harm to themselves,” said Essenter.
“It needs the regulation will enable both consumers and growers and manufacturers to have a path forward and rules of the road,” said Blumenthal.
So what would this new regulation look like? Senator Blumenthal says it’s all a matter of transparency, telling companies exactly how much CBD could go into a product and regulating marketing rules to make sure CBD products are labeled accurately so consumers know exactly what they’re ingesting.
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