Health officials in Canada have launched a public consultation seeking feedback on a regulatory framework that could open up the market for over-the-counter CBD products.
Currently regulated like marijuana under the Cannabis Act of 2018, CBD is limited to sales through licensed cannabis dispensaries under strict rules. The proposed framework would change all that by making CBD products available through grocery stores, pharmacies, and health food retailers.
While the regulated market has already reached nearly a half-billion U.S. dollars, if CBD were reclassified as a natural health product or dietary supplement, it could drastically expand the market. Under the current rules, forecasts show only modest growth for CBD.
Lowering costs
A reclassification would also streamline distribution, lowering costs for producers and retailers. With fewer regulatory hurdles, prices could drop, and more companies could enter the market, leading to innovation and increased competition, stakeholders have suggested.
Health Canada, the government health agency, opened the consultation March 7; it runs through June 5. The consultation invites input from industry stakeholders, health professionals, researchers, Indigenous partners, consumer organizations, and the general public.
The suggested pathway would permit CBD to be included as a medicinal ingredient in natural health products (NHPs), with a strict THC limit of 10 parts per million (ppm). Products would undergo comprehensive safety and efficacy assessments, aligning with existing NHP approval processes, according to the proposed changes. Activities such as manufacturing, packaging, labeling, and importing CBD-containing products would require specific licensing, and import/export regulations under the Cannabis Act would still apply.
To read the rest of this article, click on Hemp Today