 was dragged through the mud by lawmakers yesterday, who said its ‘bureaucratic red tape, inefficiencies, and weak oversight’ was responsible for the flood of intoxicating hemp substances across the country. ){kind=link}
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was dragged through the mud by lawmakers yesterday, who said its ‘bureaucratic red tape, inefficiencies, and weak oversight’ was responsible for the flood of intoxicating hemp substances across the country.
The US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held its hearing, dubbed ‘Restoring trust in the FDA by rooting out illicit products’ On Wednesday, April 9, we will examine how the FDA appears to have failed to protect Americans from these new products.
Hearings also pointed the finger at China. They accused them of importing fake pharmaceuticals worth millions and synthetic cannabinoids. Their slow response to the proliferation of cannabis-derived hemp products has allowed an industry of multi-billion dollars to grow in a regulatory wasteland.
Jonathan Miller of the US Hemp Roundtable said that FDA inaction had created an unlevel playing field for businesses.
He also said the Chinese market was flooded with synthetic cannabinoids, which have nothing to do with the hemp plant. They pose serious dangers to the public’s health.
They are mislabeled or have not been tested by a third party. In some cases, they’ve even been sold to children. Both industry participants and regulators on the state level express concern.
In spite of repeated demands from Congress, FDA still has not issued a regulatory framework for the compounds that are derived by hemp. This includes psychoactive derivatives such as Delta-8 THC. Miller said that this vacuum is not only stifling the industry’s growth, but also eroding consumers’ trust in a sector which was once seen as promising.
Some legislators view this issue as a sign of wider dysfunction at the FDA. They accuse the agency that it prioritizes bureaucratic processes over public safety.
In his opening remarks, Committee Chair James Comer stated that “they failed to work together with US Customs and Border Protection in order to eradicate illicit pharmaceuticals and food as well as tobacco and CBD.”
Miller expressed cautious optimism about the FDA’s new administration despite the harsh criticism he delivered throughout the meeting.
“We’re hopeful that the FDA, under the leadership of the new administration, will return to the previous course of inaction by taking deliberate actions and leveraging the existing authority they have available to rigorously regulate hemp-based products,” said he.