USA – Convergence: FDA looking for ‘a new way forward’ on CBD regulation

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is open to developing a new regulatory framework for cannabidiol (CBD), according to an agency official who spoke at RAPS Convergence 2023.

“FDA is committed to sound, science-based policy on CBD,” said Owen McMaster, a senior pharmacology/toxicology reviewer with the Division of Pharm/Tox for Infectious Diseases (DPT-ID) in the Office of Infectious Diseases (OID) in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).

“We look forward to working with Congress on a new way forward — a harm reduction, regulatory approach,” he said.

Interest in cannabis-related products and cannabis sativa has grown over the last decade. While the FDA has received 800 Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for cannabis-related products within the last 50 years, 400 IND applications have been submitted within the 10 years. The agency currently has 150 active INDs in the areas of addiction, pain, medicine, neurology, immunology and inflammation, McMaster said…