The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has categorised CBD as a ‘novel food’ and, as such, it requires a license. Any company selling consumer CBD products had to submit a Novel Food Application (NFA) to the FSA the by 31^st March 2021, in order for its products to remain legally on sale.

A ‘novel food’ has been defined as something that was not regularly consumed before 1997.  One example of a novel food is chia seeds and a more recent example is migratory locust food supplement (approved in November 2021).

The validation of CBD products by the FSA is still ongoing. Once validated, the licensing process will enter a full risk-assessment phase, to be completed before a license can be issued. However, products undergoing this regulatory review are permitted to remain on sale in the UK.

Ms Cosgrove says, “The community pharmacist really does play an important role in talking to their customers when they’re asked questions about CBD ..…….   and that is because   they’re in a unique position of trust within the community.  People are much more likely to go there than to ask someone in [a supermarket] ….. where they might see it on sale. They’ll go to the pharmacist because they know they’ll get advice that will help them keep safe – and [the pharmacist] will suggest a credible product.”

Pharmacists should take steps to ensure that the brand of CBD that they stock meets all the regulatory requirements. Ms Cosgrove suggests that the following questions should be asked of a potential supplier:

• Has the company submitted a NFA and what is their application number (It should start with RP followed by a number)?
• Has the company carried out toxicology testing on their brand?
• Does the company provide links (on its website) to their Certificates of Analysis for each batch of their products?
• Check that the company is not making any medical claims (e.g to treat, prevent or cure a condition) and that the maximum 70mg/day dosage is clear.

Moyra Cosgrove is Head of Nutrition for Naturecan. Her main focus is consumer CBD and she is responsible for the Novel Food Application to the UK Food Standards Agency for Naturecan’s Broad Spectrum CBD Distillate. She also advises on the nutritional aspects of Naturecan’s product range and manages the research programme partnership with Liverpool John Mores University. 

Read and watch the full series on our website or on YouTube.

There are now at least two synthetic forms of CBD available. By definition, they have nothing to do with plants. There is evidence for the ‘entourage’ effect, a term that describes the additive or synergistic effects of different cannabinoids taken together, that can only be achieved from plant derived Broad Spectrum CBD Distillate products. Such mixtures include only legal cannabinoids and not tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive constituent in cannabis, emphasises Ms Cosgrove. “The level of THC must be non-detectable for a CBD product to be legally available on the market”, she explains.

The process of producing a standardised CBD product starts with growing the plants from seed on an organic farm and ends with extraction of the oil that contains CBD and other cannabinoids but it free of THC. Hi-tech mechanised processes are required to do this and there is rigorous testing of the product at all stages.

The Food Standards Agency in the UK recommends a maximum dose of 70mg (1mg/kg body weight) of CBD per day in total. People may be taking more than one form of CBD, for example, drops, capsules and CBD-containing food, and so it is important to be aware of the CBD content of each form and the total dose that is being taken.  “In fact, on some company websites, including [that of] Naturecan, they’re very careful to   inform you if you’re taking this product, this product and this product in these   amounts you’ll be within [the 70mg limit] – so that’s very good advice and should be followed”, says Ms Cosgrove. This is a cautious approach because CBD is known to be safe in larger doses, she acknowledges. Safety studies are currently in progress and it is likely that the dosage recommendation will increase in the future.  For now, people should heed the 70mg maximum dose recommendation and also understand that it doesn’t mean you should take as much as 70 milligrams. “Start lower and build up, and take it slowly until you find the right dose that’s working for you….. You may   want to start with about 20mg a day and see how you get on with that, then build up slowly to a maximum of 70”, suggests Ms Cosgrove.

Moyra Cosgrove is Head of Nutrition for Naturecan. Her main focus is consumer CBD and she is responsible for the Novel Food Application to the UK Food Standards Agency for Naturecan’s Broad Spectrum CBD Distillate. She also advises on the nutritional aspects of Naturecan’s product range and manages the research programme partnership with Liverpool John Mores University. 

Read and watch the full series on our website or on YouTube.

Increasingly, CBD is being perceived as mainstream, rather than ‘alternative’ therapy and there is a growing body of evidence for CBD’s effect in various health conditions. Furthermore, there are now prescription CBD products which have passed the required regulatory hurdles (evidence of efficacy and safety) and been granted Marketing Authorisations as medicines.

This interview is concerned with consumer CBD products that are available for the public to buy from a pharmacy or online. Ms Cosgrove says, “[CBD] isn’t going to go away; the interest from the consumer is growing all the time”. Community pharmacists can expect to be asked increasing numbers of questions about CBD products.

The endocannabinoid system helps modulate the regulation of homeostasis across all major systems within the body, so all systems operate efficiently. The endocannabinoid system is a network of cell receptors that responds to cannabinoids like CBD and THC, among others. There are receptors in the brain, the immune system and in the periphery – and these are associated with pain and inflammation pathways.

CBD is associated with reduction in inflammation, improvement in sleep, reduction in pain and has been shown to possess anticonvulsant properties. There is evidence of a neuroprotective effect, so in head injuries, such as in   concussion and closed brain injuries that can occur, for example, during contact sports. “I must stress that more research is need in this area, but certainly they have found some evidence of suppressing the inflammation resulting from concussion injury”, says Ms Cosgrove

The bioavailability of CBD is an issue because it is fat-soluble and oral doses are poorly absorbed in the absence of food. Inhalation (vaping) achieves rapid absorption of CBD, although no-one should advise taking this up purely to improve CBD absorption. CBD oil drops have been formulated for buccal delivery. “This is the next best way of achieving rapid uptake into the bloodstream”, says Ms Cosgrove. Many people find oral dosage forms the most convenient way to take CBD but they should be reminded to take them with food to maximise absorption Oral dosage forms (capsules) are convenient and many people prefer this route and CBD in foods are absorbed more slowly as they must be digested first. Capsule forms are better absorbed when taken with food. There are also solubilised forms of CBD, e.g. Naturecan’s Accelerator (CBD powered by Novasol) that can improve bioavailability.

Moyra Cosgrove is Head of Nutrition for Naturecan. Her main focus is consumer CBD and she is responsible for the Novel Food Application to the UK Food Standards Agency for Naturecan’s Broad Spectrum CBD Distillate. She also advises on the nutritional aspects of Naturecan’s product range and manages the research programme partnership with Liverpool John Mores University. 

Read and watch the full series on our website or on YouTube.