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Products containing the cannabis extract cannabidiol (CBD) could be removed from shelves next year if they fail to provide consumers with more safety information, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned.
CBD is a non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the marijuana plant which does not disrupt the central nervous system because it does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the other key compound in cannabis which causes users to get high.
This means that products containing CBD do not lead to changes in mood and perception like marijuana in its complete form is known to do.
In the last couple of years the British high-street has seen a boom in the availability of CBD products; you can now buy everything from CBD skincare to CBD gummy sweets, CBD toothpaste, CBD shampoo and CBD hummus.
But on Thursday, the FSA warned that pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and people taking medication should not consume foods containing the ingredient.
The FSA cautioned anyone who might eat such foods not to have more than 70mg a day.
In a warning to CBD businesses, the regulator added that goods containing CBD could be taken off the shelves if they fail to provide consumers with more information about the safety and contents of their products by the end of March 2021.
Emily Miles, chief executive of the FSA, said the warning has been issued because even though CBD products are “widely available on the high street” they are not properly authorised.
“The CBD industry must provide more information about the safety and contents of these products to the regulator before 31 March 2021, or the products will be taken off the shelves,” Miles said.
“Also today, we are advising that CBD could be risky for vulnerable groups, and suggesting an upper limit of 70mg a day for everyone else taking the product.
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1/24 6. Oprah Winfrey
“The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free.”
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2/24 1. Demi Lovato
“No matter what you're going through, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you'll find the positive side of things.”
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3/24 2. Bruce Lee
“It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.”
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4/24 3. Ziggy Marley
“Doing something that is productive is a great way to alleviate emotional stress. Get your mind doing something that is productive.”
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5/24 4. Winnie The Pooh
“Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.”
6/24 5. Lena Dunham
"I am certainly no self-help guru but here is what I know tonight: when you take the time and space you need, kindly and responsibly, you're suddenly available to the people you love in a whole new way."
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7/24 7. Barack Obama
“If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.”
AFP/Getty Images
8/24 8. Michelle Obama
“One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don’t invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.”
Getty
9/24 9. Lizzo
"I love you. You are beautiful and you can do anything."
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10/24 10. RuPaul
"The only thing wrong with me was that I thought there was something wrong with me."
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11/24 11. Maya Angelou
“You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.”
EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
12/24 12. Stephen Fry
“It is the useless things that make life worth living and that make life dangerous too: wine, love, art, beauty. Without them life is safe, but not worth bothering with.”
Getty
13/24 13. Meghan Markle
“Be able to delegate, because there are some things that you just can’t do by yourself.”
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14/24 14. Nelson Mandela
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
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15/24 15. Haruki Murakami
"And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”
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16/24 16. CS Lewis
“You Are Never Too Old To Set Another Goal Or To Dream A New Dream.”
Rex Features
17/24 17. Audery Hepburn
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'.”
Getty
18/24 18. Ella Fitzgerald
“Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.”
Getty
19/24 19. Billy Porter
“For me, life is about being positive and hopeful, choosing to be joyful, choosing to be encouraging, choosing to be empowering.”
Getty
20/24 20. Betty White
“It's your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don't take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver.”
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21/24 21. Drew Barrymore
"Life is very interesting… in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths.”
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22/24 22. Jane Fonda
“It’s never too late – never too late to start over, never too late to be happy.”
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23/24 23. Jennifer Aniston
“There are no regrets in life. Just lessons.”
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24/24 24. Beyonce Knowles
"The reality is: sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens"
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1/24 6. Oprah Winfrey
“The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free.”
Getty Images
2/24 1. Demi Lovato
“No matter what you're going through, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you'll find the positive side of things.”
Getty Images
3/24 2. Bruce Lee
“It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.”
Rex Features
4/24 3. Ziggy Marley
“Doing something that is productive is a great way to alleviate emotional stress. Get your mind doing something that is productive.”
Getty
5/24 4. Winnie The Pooh
“Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.”
6/24 5. Lena Dunham
"I am certainly no self-help guru but here is what I know tonight: when you take the time and space you need, kindly and responsibly, you're suddenly available to the people you love in a whole new way."
Getty Images
7/24 7. Barack Obama
“If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.”
AFP/Getty Images
8/24 8. Michelle Obama
“One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don’t invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.”
Getty
9/24 9. Lizzo
"I love you. You are beautiful and you can do anything."
Getty
10/24 10. RuPaul
"The only thing wrong with me was that I thought there was something wrong with me."
Getty Images
11/24 11. Maya Angelou
“You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.”
EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
12/24 12. Stephen Fry
“It is the useless things that make life worth living and that make life dangerous too: wine, love, art, beauty. Without them life is safe, but not worth bothering with.”
Getty
13/24 13. Meghan Markle
“Be able to delegate, because there are some things that you just can’t do by yourself.”
Getty
14/24 14. Nelson Mandela
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
Getty Images
15/24 15. Haruki Murakami
"And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”
Getty
16/24 16. CS Lewis
“You Are Never Too Old To Set Another Goal Or To Dream A New Dream.”
Rex Features
17/24 17. Audery Hepburn
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'.”
Getty
18/24 18. Ella Fitzgerald
“Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.”
Getty
19/24 19. Billy Porter
“For me, life is about being positive and hopeful, choosing to be joyful, choosing to be encouraging, choosing to be empowering.”
Getty
20/24 20. Betty White
“It's your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don't take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver.”
Getty Images
21/24 21. Drew Barrymore
"Life is very interesting… in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths.”
Getty
22/24 22. Jane Fonda
“It’s never too late – never too late to start over, never too late to be happy.”
Getty
23/24 23. Jennifer Aniston
“There are no regrets in life. Just lessons.”
Getty
24/24 24. Beyonce Knowles
"The reality is: sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens"
Getty Images
”The actions that we're taking today are a pragmatic and proportionate step in balancing the protection of public health with consumer choice. It's now up to industry to supply this information so that the public can be reassured that CBD is safe and what it says it is.“
As a result of the FSA’s statement, companies are being asked to apply for ”novel food authorisation“ which, the agency said, will reassure the public about the safety of CBD products.
While the FSA has issued guidance, which applies only to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it is local authorities which have the power to enforce the novel foods legislation.
Professor Alan Boobis, chairman of the Committee on Toxicity, which advises the FSA and department of health, said while the risk from CBD is not certain, the agency's approach is a ”sensible and pragmatic“ one.
”My committee has reviewed the evidence on CBD food products and found evidence there are potential adverse health effects from the consumption of these products,” Boobis said.
“We are particularly concerned about pregnant or breast-feeding women and people on medication.
”We don't know enough to be sure about such a risk but I am pleased with the sensible and pragmatic approach the FSA is taking. The committee will continue to keep these products under review in the months ahead.“
The FSA has confirmed that its announcement does not affect people who take medically prescribed CBD or cannabis.