UK’s New CBD Intake Limit Could Strikingly Impact the Sector
UK’s Reduced Daily Intake Limit for CBD Poses Potential ‘Dagger Blow’ to Sector
New safety guidelines for CBD in the UK are causing concern among major retailers and could have a devastating impact on the entire sector, stakeholders have warned following the announcement of the changes last week.
The retailers have stated that they will adhere to the guidance from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and will remove certain CBD products in response to the updated recommendations. These recommendations significantly reduced the suggested daily intake of CBD from 70mg per day to 10mg per day.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) announced that its members will “follow any and all FSA advice on the sale of products containing CBD oil, and take their obligations around these products very seriously.”
Concerns about the effects
The Canna Consultants (TCC), based in London, described the changes as “a devastating blow to the entire UK CBD industry” and predicted that it would result in confusion among consumers, a lack of investor confidence, reduced revenues across the industry, an increase in staff layoffs, and decreased tax revenues.
Mike Barnes from Maple Tree Consultants, a London-based cannabis advisory, expressed his disappointment with the latest announcement from the FSA and stated that the maximum daily limit of 10mg is “unsupported by any solid evidence base.”
“As the average dose needed to achieve a well-being or medical effect is between 60 and 120mg per day, this recommendation will effectively shut down the industry,” Barnes added.
Product removals already underway
Health and wellness chain Holland & Barrett, headquartered in the UK, has already removed over 30 CBD products from its stores due to their exceeding the 10mg CBD limit per serving. The company stated that these products were removed as a temporary measure to ensure compliance with the latest guidance.
Some of the affected brands at Holland & Barrett outlets and on their website include CBDfx gummies, which contain 25mg of CBD per piece, and Trip-brand drinks, which contain 15mg of CBD per 250ml can, according to The Grocer website.
“Although it is still legal for these products to be sold, we are being cautious,” Holland & Barrett explained. “We are committed to working with the FSA and the wider industry to share safety data as the FSA continues to develop their thinking on this topic.”
Leading grocers Tesco and Waitrose also confirmed that they are aligned with the BRC’s position and will be reviewing their CBD stocks carefully.
Background
The FSA reduced the recommended daily dosage for CBD based on a position paper from key government committees. These committees reviewed data collected during the FSA’s safety assessment of over 12,000 products that are seeking market approval under UK regulations for new or “novel” foods.
The FSA also advised that CBD should not be consumed by children, individuals taking medication, pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, or those trying to conceive. They noted evidence of adverse impacts on the liver and thyroid.
In early March, the FSA issued warnings about CBD as they published a report stating that 10 people have died after consuming CBD products. The FSA also received 860 reports of adverse reactions as of February this year.
Not a mandatory requirement
Under the latest recommendation for daily intake, which is not enforceable, the FSA stated that individual retailers should decide whether to stock products with single doses exceeding the new daily limit. The agency did not require products to be recalled from the market and stated that changes to packaging and other consumer communications are not mandatory for producers.
Tony Reeves, a member of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) board and the UK representative, commented that the new limit is “extremely low, even in the context of our own derived ADI (acceptable daily intake), which is already very conservative in relation to the ‘exposure scenario’ and associated assumptions.” EIHA has proposed a daily CBD dosage of 17.5mg to the European Food Safety Authority.
Barnes added, “I should point out that children with epilepsy need about 10mg/kg (or more with isolate CBD), and that dose is considered safe since Epidyolex (a nearly pure CBD) has a medical license. So why is 10mg considered a top limit when children take 50 times that amount, or more?”
Contrary viewpoint
One CBD manufacturer, Pureis, has a different perspective. The company’s founder, Caroline Coen, stated, “This announcement represents a crucial step towards ensuring that consumers have access to safe CBD products in the market. We sincerely appreciate and welcome the valuable advice provided by the UK Food Standards Agency, and we will work collaboratively with them to ensure that our product continues to align with the highest standards of safety.”
