As of April 1st 2021 here in the UK, if a CBD Product has not been submitted on a Novel Foods Application and validated then they are no longer legally allowed to sell that product.
The Novel Foods Application proves it is safe for human consumption. Because the food safety authority classified CBD as being Novel in January 2019 the industry has had a year to prepare this application. CBD Creams and Vapes do not apply for this legislation.
Currently the accepted amount of THC in a product is 0.01% as this is a trace amount with no psychaoctive amount. To have a complete full spectrum of the cannabinoids from the plant you need the whole plant. When consumed this way it creates an entourage effect which means it has a greater impact on the ECS system. To give you an example of the difference it makes a full spectrum you would take 10mg a start whereas an isolate you would need 5 times the amount of 50mg.
The Home office are looking to
Since the CBD Industry started in the UK back in 2016, it has grown to be the largest CBD consumer market in Europe –worth over £400M and expected to hit the £1bn mark by 2025. Because of this explosive growth it stands to reason that that a legislative franework be adopted so that consumers are protected and we can transparency from seed to shelf.
The Food Safety Authority classified CBD as a novel food in January 2019. The industry was given a year to prepare Novel Foods applications for their CBD Products. The Novel Foods Legislation for CBD products came into effect in the UK on 1st April 2021.
As expected with relatively new industries there does need to be legislation in place that protects consumers and gives legal frameworks for manufacturers and resellers.
It’s no surprise as CBD is such a wonderful health supplement that is benefitting over 6 million people in the UK.
Because CBD is extracted from hemp/cannabis, although it is non psychoactive the hemp plant is still categorised under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Thereby farmers in the UK need a licence from the home office to grow it and can only use the stem.
The Novel Foods Legislation for CBD products came into effect in the UK on 1st April 2021 after the Food Safety Authority classified CBD as a Novel Food.
The Food Safety Authority here in the UK classified CBD as a Novel Food.
Novel foods are foods which have not been widely consumed by people in the UK or European Union (EU) before May 1997. …..Therefore all novel foods are classified as illegal to sell because they havent had the safety data provided to prove they are safe for human cinsumption.
Because the CBD Industry in the UK has been established for over 6 years now with over 6 miliion poeopole in the UK using CBD the FSA did not shut the industry down but gave us 12 months to provide evidence for novel foods appliactions.
Although the CBD Industry have challenged this ruling showing evidence that hemp has been consumed as a food for thousands of years it was to no avail. Therefore as an industry to legally be allowed to sell CBD we all had to submit our CBD products onto Novel foods applications. The application tests for safety of products which we as an industry agreed was needed.
However unfortunately Hemp is still scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Act which stipulates that cannabis/hemp has a propensity for abuse and has no medicinal value. Although its non psychoactive and has been used safely to extract CBD products which also have been safely consumed in the UK for 6 years now the home office are saying that there can be no THC allowed in a product. Even trace amounts that cause no psychoactive effect but are necessary for consumers to get the entourage effect are now not allowed.
This is a catastrophe for the industry and consumers as if this goes ahead then it means you will only have access to very inferior products. If you take 10mg of a full spectrum you would need 5 times the amount to get the same effect with an isolate based product. It will also mean we will see the pharmaceuticals industry synthetically making cannabinoids in laboratories and not even needing to state this on this label. Misleading consumers into using chemical cannabinoids instead of the actual plant.
Fortunetly as poart of the Eiha consortium our Excite for life brand has been added as a full spectrum onto the novel food application. EIHA have spent over 2 million to start clkinical trials to prove that trace amounts of THC in a product are safe for human consumption. The food safety aiuthoiurity have accepted this application and we hope that the home office will revise their schefduling of cannabis once they have been given the evidence of saefty.
It really is ridiculous that as a nation we are far beind other countries in the legalistaion of cannabis. It seems hypocritical that cannabis ius schgeduled as a drug which means it has ni medicicnal value yet the home office have given licenses for GW Pharmaceuticals to grown high thc cannabis in the UK that they then export as medicinal cannabis products. Furthermore you can now get a private prescription for medical cannabis in the UK from specialist medical cannabis clinics.
So the question is how can the home office criminilise the public for cannabis use, restrict the quality fo cannabis for the CBD industry stating that it is a schedule 1 drug that has a propensity for abuse and no medicinal vlaue. Yet on the other hand give licences to the large corportations that have been invcested in by ministers spouses to grow cannabis themsleves and sell at huge profits as medicine. Furthermore allowing medical cannabis clinics to also sell cannabis as medicine in the UK. It seems it is one rule for them and 1 rule for us.
Yes we want cbd products to be safe and we want clear labelling and lab tests to protect consumers however strangling the industry so that the only products left to sell are inferior is not the way to go. If this was genuinly about what was best for the environment, peoples health and the economy they would change the outdated legialstion and allow people access to high quality cannabis.
Instead it seems they are doinbg ewveruting they can to make sure the cannabis iundustry in the UK is profitale to them and to their interetsed private parties.
Please feel assured as an industry we are doing all we can tomake sure we can keep suppying you with the highest quality CBd that makes a positive impact on your wellbeing.
