While more U.S. states continually pass recreational and medical cannabis legislation, opening the door to use of cannabis for personal and health-related reasons, from a national perspective, regulatory authorities lack a centralized, cohesive structure.
In the U.S., there are 33 states, plus the District of Columbia, with some form of legal cannabis for medicinal purposes, and 10 states that allow it for recreational use. However, when it comes to specifying the level of THC, CBD, terpenes and the other 80 or so constituent components in cannabis, there's a smorgasbord of rules and regulations.
The FDA held a public hearing on May 31 to solicit oral presentations and comments in order to obtain scientific data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived products.
The 21st Annual Food Safety Summit occurred last week in Rosemont, IL, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, and over 1,400 food safety professionals representing the leading foodservice and retail establishments, manufacturers and processors, distributors, regulators, and academicians attended.
Food Safety Strategies recently got the chance to speak with Eric Eslao, CEO and founder of Défoncé, as well as Julie Brooks, director of manufacturing, about their cannabis chocolate, and food safety.
Because child-resistant packaging requirements vary in states where cannabis is legal, many companies infusing food and drinks choose containers with the best protection—required or not—so they can sell the same packages everywhere.
The Farm Bill's recent passing gives a green light for products to include hemp extracts. The legalization of hemp couldn’t come at a better time, as functional beverages—especially those deriving their benefits from plant sources—are rising in popularity.