The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has announced that it cannot establish the safety of cannabidiol (CBD) as a novel food, citing the need to address knowledge gaps about the substance to make an informed conclusion. EFSA released its statement after the European Commission announced CBD as a novel food, which prompted applications for the use of synthetic CBD and CBD extracted from hemp. EFSA’s statement identifies the hazards of CBD used in food and provides an overview of uncertainties and data gaps that must be addressed before the safety assessment of applications for CBD as a novel food can be concluded.
In its assessment, EFSA’s Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods, and Food Allergens (NDA) sought to: 1) fully characterize the toxicological profile of CBD as an individual substance, 2) determine potentially adverse effects of consuming CBD, 3) assess the impact of the potential of CBD to interfere with drug metabolism, and 4) assess the long-term effects in humans from chronic consumption of CBD as food. Through a literature review, EFSA explored these themes as they relate to: