After the Biden administration released a memo on Jan. 20 to all federal agencies informing them of a “regulatory freeze pending review,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew its “Cannabidiol Enforcement Policy; Draft Guidance for Industry.” Before it was withdrawn, the guidance was at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) awaiting review.

In response, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) released the following statement: “CRN is of course disappointed that FDA has withdrawn this draft guidance from OMB. However, this development is not surprising as the new administration is reevaluating all regulatory actions that were still in progress when the presidency passed to President Biden. This is not an action directed specifically at CBD,” said Steve Mister, CRN president & CEO.  

“Even so, this unexpected action presents a setback to long-overdue agency action on CBD regulation. CRN is reminded that we have new FDA staff to interact with and to make the case yet again why swift action from the agency is so critical to establish a legal pathway for CBD in dietary supplements. We look forward to working with the new Congress and new leadership at FDA to address their concerns and promote the interests of both consumers and our members to create a well-regulated, robust and vibrant supplement marketplace for CBD.”

For more information, visit www.fda.gov or www.crnusa.org.