California to Consider CBD in Foods, Beverages, and Cosmetics

It appears that California is getting closer to allowing CBD to be added to foods, beverages, and cosmetics. The relevant bill was expected to be signed into law by the state’s governor Gavin Newsom at the end of 2019 but was shelved after concerns that hemp products would not be regulated as carefully as marijuana.

Hemp industry stakeholders recently sent a letter to the governor with proposed amendments to the bill in January, which would stipulate for hemp to be tested as strictly as marijuana, particularly in terms of heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminants.

According to San Fransisco cannabis attorney Patrick Goggin, the amended bill will be addressed as early as March. If successful, it would be a huge step forward by officially allowing CBD-infused foods, beverages, and cosmetics to be sold in the 5th-biggest economy in the world.

Meanwhile, some other American states, including Indiana, Florida, and Texas, have recently passed similar measures for allowing CBD in food and beverages. If California follows suit, it will put even greater pressure on the FDA to allow CBD as an ingredient in foods and beverages on the federal level.

The truth is that CBD gummies, chocolate, sodas, water, coffee, and other infused foods and beverages are already available online throughout the United States. However, until laws such as this one in California are put into place, they cannot appear on supermarket shelves and remain in a legal gray area.

The change would not only benefit California’s consumers, who would have increased protection and safety when buying CBD-infused products but also farmers, who would have an easier time finding a market for their hemp.

CBD-infused foods and beverages are projected to be a multi-billion dollar market in the coming years, constituting a big portion of the global legal cannabis industry. Cannabis-infused beverages in the U.S. alone are expected to be worth $1.4 billion by 2024.