Natural Products Expo West Highlights: Wednesday

Today’s events featured two hour-long events about CBD. First was Dr. Raj Gupta of Folium Biosciences speaking on the growth and development of CBD as an ingredient and what that means for CBD products. The second event by Joy Beckerman of Elixinol provided an overview of the regulatory landscape of hemp and CBD along with what everyone should look for in producers for this industry.

Wednesday Highlights of Natural Products Expo West 2019

While more relaxed than Tuesday, Wednesday was still jam-packed with 2 hours worth of excellent CBD and hemp information.

Cannabidiol: A Trillion Dollar Molecule?

Dr. Raj Gupta, the Chief Scientific Officer at Folium Biosciences, opened the day speaking on several aspects of CBD.

He started with a brief scientific and clinical history of CBD, outlining the development of our understanding of the cannabinoid.

Dr. Gupta also discussed CBD in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications, pet products, beauty products, and as a dietary supplement.

He finally dispelled some myths regarding the safety and efficacy of CBD, encouraging the audience that CBD has a strong safety profile.

The Hemp Industry Boom Is Here: Navigating The Regulatory Landscape for Your Business

Regulatory Officer and Industry Liaison of Elixinol Joy Beckerman gave this lecture on the regulations surrounding CBD and hemp.

Beckerman began with the distinctions between hemp and marijuana, such as that marijuana is high in resin and intoxicating while hemp has low resin levels and is not intoxicating.

Hemp is now defined according to the Agricultural Market Act of 1946: “The term ‘hemp’ means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.”

Beckerman also noted that hemp has been completely removed from the Controlled Substances Act and that legislators were more clear in the 2018 Farm Bill, eliminating the discrepancies in the law.

The 2018 Farm Bill did several things as Beckerman explained, including authorizing and funding hemp research, authorizing crop insurance for hemp, and requiring the USDA to create regulations for hemp farming, which will replace the remaining 2014 Farm Bill.

Most importantly, the law does not prohibit the interstate commerce of hemp, nor can states prohibit the transportation of hemp or hemp products through their territory.

Beckerman gave an overview of the FDA’s position as well, highlighting how the agency has seemingly softened its stance enough to seriously consider exercising its authority to allow CBD food and supplement products.

Beckerman concluded her lecture with some practical advice for businesses.

She stressed transparency, imploring brands to have documentation for all of their processes within the supply chain.

Businesses should also stay far away from making medical claims, using words such as “supports” or “aids” instead of “treats.”

Lastly, she mentioned the US Hemp Authority Certification Program, which is “the industry’s initiative to provide high standards, best practices, self-regulation, and provide confidence to consumers and law enforcement that hemp products are safe and legal.”

This program was funded by the US Hemp Roundtable, and joined by organizations such as the Hemp Industries Association, along with industry leaders.

Companies must pass a third-party audit to attain the certification.

Did you miss yesterday’s summary of Natural Products Expo West? Check it out here.