by Robert L. DuPont

 

The irrational enthusiasm for the medical use of cannabidiol, or CBD, is unique and frightening. We are watching the explosive creation of a multibillion-dollar industry poised to make tremendous profits off desperate patients and their loved ones.

I commend the Food and Drug Adminstration for tackling the enormous challenge of creating a regulatory pathway for cannabis-derived products. Congress had products like these in mind when it passed the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act in 1906. Yet, even a century ago, people couldn’t have imagined the deceptive advertising we’re seeing today for CBD.

Anecdotes and testimonials, not science, are driving the marketing of unregulated, nonprescription forms of CBD. This scenario is reminiscent of 19th century patent medicines. These concoctions claimed to cure every known condition; their peddlers were commonly known as “snake oil” salesmen.

The CBD industry is sidestepping the great advances made over the past 113 years to subject health claims to careful investigation. It’s the manufacturer’s responsibility to provide accurate information to the public and ensure the safety, efficacy, and purity of health-related products.