Former FDA chief warns consumers that all forms of CBD in food is actually illegal

PUBLISHED FRI, AUG 9 2019 9:12 AM EDT UPDATED FRI, AUG 9 2019 10:06 AM EDT
Jessica Bursztynsky
@JBURSZ

The cannabidiol droplets you may be adding into your brunch cocktail are not actually legal, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb warned on CNBC on Friday.

CBD is a compound found in the cannabis plant that’s boomed in the retail industry in the past year, with many touting its supposed stress-relieving benefits despite limited evidence. Coffee shops, bars and restaurants have rushed to cash in on adding CBD to foods and beverages. However, the Food and Drug Administration is looking to put a stop to that, citing safety concerns.

“You can’t just put it in the food supply,” said Gottlieb, who left the FDA in April. “Right now, all the CBD is illegal that’s being put into food or dietary supplements.”

Gottlieb, a resident fellow at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, is also a physician who consults for and invests in biopharmaceutical companies. He joined Pfizer’s board of directors earlier this summer.

-snip-