NEWS
NEWS
NIP IT IN THE BUD
The Cannabis Products Directive will help clean up the CBD industry
BY GORDON STRIBLING
The long-awaited Cannabis Products Directive ( CPD ) will be published on October 19 , formally laying the groundwork for the regulation of all cannabis-derived products .
The UK Cannabis Trades Association ( CTA ) has developed the CPD in conjunction with the Food Standards Agency ( FSA ) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ( MHRA ).
Based on the TPD , the new directive will require manufacturers and retailers of all CBD products including e-liquids to register their businesses and individual products with the CTA . All CBD products will also be tested for quality and safety before going to market .
CTA Chair Mike Harlington said :
“ All of our members have agreed to be CPD compliant from October 19 when the process of registering businesses and products will begin . CPD isn ’ t law yet but we anticipate that it will be rolled out across the EU as early as March 2019 .”
The UK ’ s CBD industry is now estimated to be worth £ 50 million per year . But while the CTA already requires that members ’ products are tested for quality , the lack of blanket regulation has meant that , until now , many poor-quality products have made it onto the market .
The CTA tested several products sold on eBay and most were found to contain far less CBD than the manufacturer claimed . One was even found to contain illegal levels of cannabinol .
While the directive will help to legitimise the CBD industry , manufacturers and retailers will still be prohibited from making claims about the therapeutic effects of their products , unless they gain a licence from the MHRA .
The UK produces and exports more medicinal cannabis than any other country . However , successive governments have refused to acknowledge the medicinal potential of the plant .
A recent high-profile case forced Home Secretary Sajid Javid ’ s hand .
Twelve-year-old Billy Cauldwell ended up in A & E after his anti-seizure cannabis oil medication was intercepted at the border . Cannabis oil contains more than trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ), making it illegal .
After a public outcry , the Home Secretary finally signed an emergency licence allowing Billy Cauldwell to obtain cannabis oil on the NHS .
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