FDA cracks down on CBD marketed as foods or supplements
NEW YORK - The FDA isn't giving out presents this holiday season. Instead, it sent warning letters to 15 companies selling CBD across the country. That includes Bella Rose Labs, an online CBD business owned by Brooklyn resident Audriana Castro.
"On my labels I had 'CBD dietary supplement' and the FDA feels that it falls on the drug category more so than the dietary supplement category," Castro said. "So we have to make a couple of adjustments to our labels."
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is legal on a federal level but not when it is added to food or drink because the FDA claims it doesn't have enough scientific evidence that CBD is safe as a food additive.
In a statement, the FDA said it will continue to monitor and take action against companies that violate the law.
Dr. Scott Krakower, D.O., assistant unit chief, psychiatry, Zucker Hillside Hospital, acknowledged there are CBD benefits but said he agrees with the FDA that there's not enough data for CBD food products.
"People should just be cautious and be informed of the fact that the CBD agents out there may not be marketed what they are intended for," Krakower said. "So again, just be a cautious shopper."
Companies that don't comply with FDA guidelines will get violations.
Castro plans to make changes quickly and also hopes to open a brick-and-mortar store in Williamsburg next year.
"Basically, we are going to have to change up a little bit of the verbiage. You can't make any drug-related claims on our website," Castro said. "We can't say that it heals or treats or fixes any specific ailments."
On a more local level, the New York City Health Department told FOX 5 NY that it strongly enforces FDA guidelines and issues violations to businesses in the city that sell CBD-infused food and drink.
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