Oregon regulators ban CBD in alcoholic beverages

A regulatory agency in Oregon announced a policy Friday that bans the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages containing CBD.

However, according to state law, commerce of compliant, nonalcoholic, hemp-derived CBD products is allowed as long as they pass pesticide, solvent and potency tests under the Oregon Department of Agriculture, which regulates such products.

The ban, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, applies to alcohol manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers and liquor store retail agents in the state, according to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC).

Licensees that have received noncompliant alcohol products containing CBD must sell or remove them by Dec. 31.

“It has been as challenging for the OLCC as it has been for our licensees to create some certainty over the status of CBD in the alcoholic beverage marketplace,” Executive Director Steve Marks said in an agency news release.

Forthcoming rules would also restrict liquor-licensed businesses such as bars and restaurants from blending cannabidiol with alcohol.

The ban is the OLCC’s attempt to clarify its role in a marketplace where CBD is generally available for human consumption.

A letter the agency sent to alcohol licensees points out concerns raised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the safety of extract.

In late November, the FDA said it could not conclude CBD is generally recognized as safe for use in human or animal food, based on the current lack of scientific information to support cannabidiol as a food ingredient.

The FDA also issued a consumer warning about its concern regarding the safety of CBD.

The OLCC has developed fact sheets for licensees and retailers outlining the policy and compliance requirements as well as consumer resources.

A separate fact sheet details testing requirements for any hemp-derived product intended for human consumption.