KC-based CBD stores support regulation for industry as FDA accepts suggestions – KSHB

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The way you buy oils, lotions and food infused with CBD could change. The United State Food and Drug Administration is collecting feedback on how to regulate the industry. Tuesday, July 16 is the last day to submit a comment online.

In Kansas City, Missouri, CBD shops support regulation, to a degree. Locally-based CBD American Shaman has more than 300 franchises across the United States. Its leaders attended a hearing in front of the FDA in May to push for the agency to regulate CBD like a vitamin or supplement.

“CBD sits on the spectrum of being a health supplement or product,” Dr. Jesse Lopez, CBD American Shaman’s chief medical officer, said. “A natural product is a good way to describe it, as opposed to a medication that requires a physician’s prescription in order to obtain it.”

CBD is an extract from the cannabis family. It does not create the high associated with marijuana. Companies sell CBD in a variety of forms as a holistic approach to a variety of conditions or ailments.

Regulations could create a better environment for consumers.

“They’ll know exactly what they’re getting. People won’t just be able to make it wherever. It will have to be made in clean, sterile facilities, it will have to be tested, lab tested. All those things that we keep hearing about. We’ll have consistency in products,” said Sarah Fields, a franchisee of CBD American Shaman.

But there is some uncertainty in what the FDA will decide to do. Some groups are pushing for the government to regulate CBD like a pharmaceutical drug and require a prescription to obtain it. Dr. Lopez said he thinks treating CBD as a medication will end up driving up the cost and hurting consumers. So CBD American Shaman has asked consumers to share their stories of obtaining products over the counter with the FDA.

“It’s scary because you just don’t ever know, you don’t know what’s going to happen. So that’s why we’re just fighting, we’re going to the FDA website, we’re putting our comments, we’re telling our stories of how CBD has helped our lives and the lives of our loved ones,” Fields said.

The FDA is accepting feedback until 10:59 p.m. central time Tuesday. Click here to find out how to submit a comment.

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