FDA Says CBD Not Recognized as Food Safe

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it “cannot conclude that CBD is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) among qualified experts for its use in human or animal food” based on the current lack of scientific information to support cannabidiol as a food ingredient.

Without the GRAS designation, a food ingredient must get premarket approval and undergo review by the FDA before it can be legally sold.

The agency also sent warning letters to 15 companies for illegally selling CBD products in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act and published a revised consumer update detailing its concerns about the safety of CBD products.

New Brunswick Considers Reset of Legal Cannabis Sales

The Canadian province of New Brunswick aims to hit  the reset button on how adult-use cannabis is sold, and it might be willing to pull the plug on at least some of the 20 existing government-run stores under any new retail system.

New Brunswick issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a single operator to run a cannabis retail system in the province starting next year. If a private company is chosen to run the new system, it will not be required to maintain all 20 outlets.

“This is not a sale of the existing business, Cannabis NB, but rather the sale of the rights to operate recreational cannabis retail, wholesale/distribution and e-commerce in the province of New Brunswick on an exclusive basis over a period of 10 years with two five-year renewal periods,”the RFP document notes.

The deadline for applicants to file an application is Jan. 10, 2020.

Barbados Passes Medical Cannabis Law

Barbados Gov. Gen. Sandra Prunella Mason signed a law into effect that forms the legal foundation for a medical cannabis industry in the island nation.

The law mandates the creation of the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority, which will develop regulations to govern the industry, including activities related to cultivation, processing, dispensing and export. The country will adopt a tiered approach to cultivation and processor permits, ranging from small-scale cultivation to large-scale farms.

Barbados will require license holders to be citizens, permanent residents, hold immigrant status (which can be gained through investing) or be a citizen of a Caribbean Community member state.