In a survey conducted by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, more than three-quarters of Americans have assumed that CBD products sold commercially are controlled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is mostly untrue.

Of the 2,056 respondents who joined the survey, 76% believed that CBD-based products were regulated by the FDA, while 16% of the respondents were doubtful as to the regulation of CBD by the FDA. The study marked around 92% of Americans who are still confused by CBD regulations or apparent lack thereof.

What the study revealed

According to the study, over 6 in 10 Americans or 62% of the respondents are aware of cannabidiol products, but most of them are mistaken or doubtful about the nature of CBD, its effects, and whether all CBD-containing products are safe for consumption.

The only cannabidiol-based product that FDA has approved is Epidiolex, a medicine derived from marijuana that is used for the treatment of specific seizure disorders. The FDA stated that more studies need to be conducted before they can hand the approval for CBD, whether mixed in cosmetics, food, or other products. That, despite topical and salves being openly marketed at big retailers such as Walgreens, CVS, and Kroger.

The popular assumption regarding CBD stems from the 2018 Farm Bill. It legalized industrial hemp, which is where cannabidiol is derived. Jeff Lawrence, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment director of Environmental Health and Sustainability, stated that the federal approval granted to hemp made consumers assume that CBD products are now regulated and legal even if it’s not the case. The Farm Bill only approved fiber and seed products derived from industrial hemp, not CBD.

A look at CBD in Colorado

Cannabidiol has become a commodity over the years. Lawrence said that they had observed it in Colorado, where marijuana and other cannabis-derived products are somewhat progressive.

Lawrence added that Colorado made efforts to oversee CBD within the state. The Colorado Legislature allowed hemp and hemp-derived cannabidiol as a food and cosmetics additive since 2018.

States that legalized marijuana and have progressive industrial hemp laws like Oregon and Colorado have regulated CBD use. However, there were certain factors that prevented the FDA from researching about CBD easily until recently.

Before the Farm Bill, hemp was included in the federal list of controlled substances, along with heroin and THC-laden marijuana, which means that studies on CBD were undertaken by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). However, now that hemp is legal, Lawrence believes that federal research on CBD will experience change.

Lawrence further stated that the FDA had little capacity to inspect CBD from a medical viewpoint. Now, the agency is still trying to understand what CBD really is.

FDA stance on CBD

Although the FDA still has much to do about CBD regulation, the agency stressed that the substance is still illegal as an additive to consumed products. However, the CBD industry is still booming despite it. The agency recently penned warning letters to fifteen CBD companies that use fake promotional claims on their products.

While the FDA is yet to issue official guidelines on CBD regulations, consumers are responsible for choosing which CBD products to buy and use, and conduct a self-research on how such products may affect them. It includes inspecting the product label, third-part lab test procedures, and the company’s reputation.

Some reports have shown that several products could have more or less of their advertised THC or CBD content.

Lawrence believes that CBD-based product testing is a crucial issue to be handled by the CDPHE and the Governor’s administration. He stated that the emerging industry could have companies that only look to cash in on the craze. The department is set on ensuring that CBD products are clearly labeled, hemp-derived, and contain the right dosage.

He also hopes that this CBD growth will encourage Colorado state departments to create new regulations. He sees the need for the alignment of benefits concerning the agricultural crop, whether in Colorado or other parts of the country.

In recent years, cannabidiol has become very popular in the wellness industry, with lifestyle and beauty brands highlighting its therapeutic benefits for many health conditions. Many products today are incorporated with CBD, from serums to drinks.

The Duchess of Cornwall revealed on her visit to the Swiss Cottage Farmer’s Market that she has heard ‘fantastic’ testaments about CBD, surprising the audience during her talk.

A visit to the market

Camilla visited the market with the Prince of Wales to celebrate their 20^th year. She tried CBD hemp oil by putting some on a piece of bread. She exclaimed that the oil was ‘wonderful.’ Hemp oil is extracted from the seeds of a cannabis plant.

The Duchess told Sophia Lysaczenko, owner of Hempen stall where the oil came from, that she has spoken to individuals suffering from severe maladies like epilepsy who have tried CBD and greatly benefited from it. She described the oil as fantastic since it is helping many people overcome ailments.

In her Evening Standard interview, Lysaczenko stated that the Duchess was knowledgeable about CBD. She noted how on-board Camilla was about the cannabis-derived substance.

Besides trying the hemp oil, the Duchess also sampled some products around the market, including caviar and cheese from some of the stalls. They were also entertained by performers from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with a flash mob presentation of Oliver.

CBD in the UK

Cannabidiol has gained quite the exposure due to it being closely related to marijuana—both come from Cannabis sativa L. species. The difference is that CBD does not cause psychoactive effects that users experience when trying marijuana.

Today, CBD is known as a natural remedy for many health conditions, such as chronic pain, epilepsy, and PTSD. However, most of these therapeutic claims are mostly unfounded.

CBD is legal in the UK as long as it is derived from industrial hemp duly approved by EU standards. It should not contain THC to be allowed for sale and use in the UK.

The only exemption is the NHS-recognized Sativex, a CBD-based drug for multiple sclerosis that contains both CBD and THC. The NHS has recently implemented it into the healthcare system along with another CBD-containing medication for intractable epilepsy, Epidyolex.

Now that the NHS has allowed CBD-infused medication into the system, advocates are hopeful that other CBD products will gain more acceptance from the buying public and the government. Experts are also pushing for more research on CBD to gain concrete evidence about its efficacy.

The UK, like the rest of the world, is still struggling to regulate CBD products as of now due to it being a relatively novel discovery. As more people try it, the CBD market expands as well, which ultimately leads to the issue of sorting through what is real and what is not.

Bill Turnbull of BBC breakfast show fame has prostate cancer. His ongoing battle with the deadly disease is not being dealt with by chemo sessions but rather by Cannabis Oil. In a recent show for BBC, he spoke with his old colleagues Naga Munchetty and Dan Walker about how his experience with cannabis oil for cancer is turning out to be enjoyable. He also mentioned how the combination of CBD along with giving up alcohol and meat and rejuvenated his health. He told the presenters that his current health was in pink and he did not feel any pain. His decision to adopt the CBD way of healing vis-à-vis the conventional chemo has indeed brought some good results.

The moment his belief in chemotherapy disappeared in 2017, he decided and was firm to adopt any alternative therapy which will help him. The inspiration for CBD came to him when in the UK a 14-year-old boy miraculously recovered from his cancer and how every passing day he is feeling better. After taking CBD oil, he feels he has been the healthier version of himself. On further questioning, he also said that due to lack of research he was unsure about how much to take. That is why he has stopped taking it and is urging the medical sector and government to undertake more research.

Research in a way would also mean that people’s curiosity and fears will be settled. CBD has been there for thousands of years but we have only recently known its good and bad. A substance with that much potential should never be ignored or pushed to the background. The hemp-extracted plant also has anti-inflammatory properties with less than 0.3% THC levels. It is different compared to marijuana because of THC and also the effects it produces like intoxication and excessive addiction.

Despite being so beneficial in treating lots of ailments like cancer, joint pains, Alzheimer’s diseases, depression, and insomnia, people still attach a lot of stigma to it the way they attach to marijuana. Many medical foundations want to give this a try and have divulged that they will soon be funding research for CBD and its effectiveness. Recently a welfare organization has researched to see if CBD is effective in silencing the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The research is slated to begin next year and if effective will establish CBD as one of the major ingredients not to be missed in medications.

Bill has currently stopped because he does not want to risk its dosages. He feels invigorated after the changes he had made to his lifestyle and feels fresher and lighter than ever. His colleague also joking tells him that she has known him as a meat lover and this dramatic change is surely worth a mention. Turnbull agreed to this but has said that he has given up meat majorly and alcohol completely and feels better after doing so. He feels that he has mellowed down quite a bit.

All the revelations were made by Bill in a show documentary called Staying Alive. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 and found that this cancer spread very easily. In the documentary, he also spoke at length about his treatment procedure and coming to terms with the deadly disease. He also mentions to his friends and hosts of the show that he has felt that this was quite a point of realization for him and time to look back at the truth.

His tryst with cannabis oil has been successful. When he was first diagnosed he was given little time to live which extended up to 8 years of age. But he also becomes practical that one day he has to go and will live the number of years he was destined to live. If while living and not living he can make himself feel better then he sees no harm in it.

Bill Turnbull has accepted his conditions and believes that he has a strong family force behind him to feel stronger. It is due to the immense love that his family has shown and the way they have backed him, gives him more reason and strength to recover.

In one of the lighter moments of the clip he is also shown smoking cannabis and amidst laughter explains the wonders of the product. Bill has not been a keen follower of CBD but believes that if it can be used for medicinal value then there is no harm.

He feels that there should be something right in it that 20 countries have now legalized it. The authorities should have a healthy discussion about it to take it forward instead of neglecting its potential.

The show ended with Turnbull feeling emotional about how the family took the news and how devastating it was at the beginning to come to terms with it.