FDA Seeking Public Comments On CBD

On Regulations.Gov, right now, the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is soliciting public comments with regard to the therapeutic utility and abuse liability of various controlled substances, including cannabidiol (CBD).

The agency will consider these comments prior to preparing a formal response to the World Health Organization, which is considering placing the substances within their international drug scheduling code.

Now, to be frank, it’s a little silly that the FDA is seeking public comment on a topic that would normally be judged based on the merits of evidence-based science and data. But prohibition itself would be considered silly if not for the detrimental effects of a criminal record and lifelong penalties and stigma associated with it.

That being said, cannabidiol is defined by the US Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule I controlled substance, despite:

• Its therapeutic properties and lack of abuse potential, despite the safety trials which have determined the substance to be non-toxic and well-tolerated in human subjects
• Seventeen states explicitly recognizing by state-law that CBD as a therapeutic agent
• The head of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse publically acknowledging that CBD is “a safe drug with no addictive effects” 

So a request for public comment should never go unfulfilled. So we made it incredibly easy for you to do so.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT FORMAL COMMENTS TO THE FDA NOW

NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform