Food regulators from the United Kingdom have slashed the basic recommended safe daily dosage of CBD, a cannabis extract that exists in hundreds of high street products, from coffee to muffins, citing a huge risk of thyroid and liver issues.
In a sudden reversal of any previous official guidance, the FSA (Food Standards Agency), as well as its Scottish counterpart, have managed to update their opinions on what was considered to be a wonder ingredient once upon a time.
Now, they are recommending healthy limits on CBD intake from different food items to about 10mg everyday, which in turn equates to 4 or 5 drops of 5% CBD oil.
In 2020, the recommended intake was much higher, pointing at 70mg every day.
The FSA’s Opinion:
Prof. Robin May, the Chief Scientific Advisor at FSA, said in this context, “The more CBD you consume over your lifetime, the more likely you are to develop long-term adverse effects, like liver damage or thyroid issues.”
May also suggest that consumers should check the different labels of the multiple products they typically utilize while thinking about the new advice. In this context, he said, “The level of risk is related to how much you take, in the same way as with some other potentially harmful products such as alcoholic drinks.”
As per the FSA, the change in gear was actually based on absolutely new evidence from the entire industry as well as the input from its autonomous scientific committee.
It will lead to shock waves in the whole industry, since there are various products on sale containing over 10mg of CBD for every serving. However, the suggestion is completely advisory, while regulators aren’t requesting that any products end up getting taken off the shelves.
The CBD Industry And The FSA’s Intervention:
In 2010, CBD sales took off completely, with ingredients added to literally everything from face creams to fizzy drinks.
After the FSA intervention began, the industry has reached a limbo. Classified as a type of ‘novel food,’ all CBD products need approval before it is sold. While it started playing catch-up with the fast-increasing industry, the FSA came up with a range of products for multiple consumers to consult, though it hasn’t authorized any of them.
The Cannabis Trades Association has more than 200 members, and its executive director, Marika Graham-Woods, talked about how the decision wasn’t fair with the latest guidance being only advisory. She said, “All this does is frighten consumers and retailers, and it stops the industry going forward again. I don’t see any benefit in what they have done.”
The FSA talked about how there was literally ‘no acute safety risk’ accompanied by consumption of over 10mg of CBD per day, depending on the information it had managed to assess. But above this particular level, and over a time period, “There is evidence of some adverse impacts on the liver and thyroid.”
Moreover, CBD shouldn’t be consumed by individuals in vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, people on medication, children, women trying to conceive, and women who are breastfeeding.
The chief executive of FSA, Emily Miles, mentioned that the FSA has always asked the world to carefully think about consuming edible CBD products. Accordingly, the FSA would continue to review its guidance based on evidence.
She said, “We understand that this change to our advice will have implications for products currently on the market that contain more than 10mg of CBD per serving. We will be working closely with industry to minimize the risk that consumers are not exposed to potentially harmful levels of CBD.”
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