Cannabinoids
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Compounds found in cannabis are called cannabinoids. There are at least 144 different cannabinoids which have been isolated from cannabis or hemp plants, and more are still being discovered. Each cannabinoid has unique properties and effects, and these can modulate according to how they are combined with one another. There is research which suggests that certain combinations of cannabinoids produce what has come to be called the ‘entourage effect,’ delivering an overall therapeutic benefit together which is greater than the sum of their individual parts.
Of the many non-psychoactive cannabinoids that have been discovered, the cannabinoid most prominently featured in wellness research and development is cannabidiol (CBD); one of the most widely known cannabinoids found in plants, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Other cannabinoids increasingly present in over-the-counter and prescription cannabinoid-based medications include cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabichromene (CBC).
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Clinical research into cannabis and hemp-derived medicines is rapidly advancing around the world, increasingly indicating new possible clinical applications for CBD and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids, especially in relation to their various anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety and muscle relaxant effects. These discoveries feed directly into the development of new cannabinoid-containing products catering to specific conditions. Correspondingly, the global cannabinoid industry is blossoming. As the public demand grows for medical-grade cannabinoid-containing healthcare products produced with integrity, cultivators and distributors around the world are rising to the challenge of supplying it.
Led by our unremunerated Chairman Crispin Blunt MP and Policy Council, the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group consults with stakeholders at the cutting-edge of cannabinoid science from across the international landscape, to inform Government policy relating to CBD and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids. We continue to make recommendations on cannabinoid policy to ensure the evidence-based regulation of the cannabinoid industry, especially as the UK establishes new legislative frameworks for cannabinoids following Brexit, and to facilitate other nations’ regulatory environments advances as they too react to the emerging evidence.
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The best pharmacologically understood non-psychoactive cannabinoid is cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is the key focus to date of cannabinoid research and development and the bedrock if the resultant industry.
CBD-containing products are sought for a number of different symptoms and health problems.
As the workings of cannabidiol (CBD) in the human body becomes increasingly clinically understood, development possibilities in CBD wellness will continue to evolve. DrugScience’s ProjectTwenty21, for instance; Europe’s first and biggest national medical cannabis registry, led by CDPRG Policy Council member Prof. David Nutt; are monitoring the efficacy of CBD-only and CBD-rich projects in mitigating substance-use disorder.
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Two excellent introductions to CBD and cannabinoid wellness were authored by members of the CDPRG’s Policy Council in 2020. Dr. Dani Gordon is a double board certified medical doctor, integrative medicine physician and world-leading expert in CBD and cannabis medicine. Dr. Julie Moltke is a medical doctor with a focus on mental health, stress management, sleep, and the medicinal cannabis industry.
Law, drug policy and human rights specialist Dr. Melissa Bone’s 2019 book focuses extensively on international regulations on cannabis based medicine and their respective impacts on wellbeing.
‘A quick guide to CBD’ - Dr. Julie Moltke (Hachette, June 2020)
‘Human Right and Drug Control’ - Dr. Melissa Bone (Routledge, October 2019)
‘The CBD Bible’ - Dr. Dani Gordon (Orion Spring, July 2020)
Cannabis & CBD
With so many incongruences and unsubstantiated assumptions in the existing UK CBD regulatory environment, the Centre for Evidence Based Drug Policy is leading the campaign to enable an evidence-based approach to all CBD products, and to ensure there is a sensible CBD regulatory environment in the UK that is informed by the evidence and keeps consumers who benefit from this product safe.
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December 2023
The Centre for Evidence Based Drug Policy (CEBDP) seeks counsel and clarification on the significant reduction of the recommended Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of cannabidiol (CBD) by the Food and Safety Agency. The ADI, originally set at 70mg per day in February 2020, has been lowered to 10mg per day for a healthy adult weighing 70 kilograms based on recommendations from the Joint Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) and the Committee on Toxicity (COT). Expressing concerns over the strictness of the new ADI, the CEBDP questions the rationale behind the additional uncertainty factor and highlights the lack of clarity in incorporating safety data into the revised ADI. The letter emphasizes the potential economic impact and restrictions on consumer freedom, urging a more balanced approach that considers both public safety and industry growth. Furthermore, the CEBDP seeks guidance on the implications for existing and future CBD products and calls for a thorough review of evidence to establish an updated ADI that better reflects CBD's safety profile. This letter underscores the organization's commitment to evidence-based drug policies and its proactive engagement with regulatory developments.
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October 2023
The Home Office has, after a delay of almost two years, accepted the ACMD's expert recommendations primarily focusing on the permissible dosage of controlled phytocannabinoids in single-serving consumer CBD products. We are gratified that our contributions to the ACMD's evidence base played a role in this decision. The forthcoming implementation of these recommendations necessitates a revision to the Misuse of Drugs Regulation 2001. Our advocacy has centered on a sensible limit that ensures consumer safety while fostering the growth of the CBD industry.
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October 2023
In October the Food and Safety Agency (FSA) updated its guidance on the recommended Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of cannabidiol (CBD). The previous recommendation of 70mg of CBD per day, issued in February 2020, has drastically reduced to 10mg per day for a healthy adult weighing 70 kilograms (see here).
This alteration is based on a report presented by the Joint Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) and the Committee on Toxicity (COT). We are currently speaking with the FSA to elucidate how this revised guideline was reached.
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2022
The APPG for CBD products held a number of meetings in Parliament:
Law, Order and Cannabis (30 November)
Presentation of APPG Plan for a Legal and Regulated UK Hemp and Cannabis Sector (18 July)
The Significant Economic Advantages of Amending Legislation (29 June)
Legislative advances made in Jersey (26 April)
The CBD Grey Market (26 January)
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December 2021
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) wrote to the Home Office with advice for setting controlled cannabinoid limits in non-medical CBD products and building regulatory framework.
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November 2021
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for CBD Products was established in November 2021 to encourage the development of UK regulation on CBD products that reflects evidence-based policy, clear regulation and the most certain basis for investors and entrepreneurs to enable this industry to safely serve the public and the wider national interests engaged in public wellness and economy.
Crispin Blunt MP, also our unremunerated chair, serves as chair of the APPG. The APPG has officers from both government and opposition parties.
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2021
In a proactive move to address pertinent concerns and explore potential avenues for improvement, Crispin Blunt has written to Boris Johnson and other relevant Ministers. In his letter, he highlights CDPRG polling that indicates most MPs favor evidence-based drug policies, emphasizing the need for an evidence-based regulatory environment. This engagement reflects his commitment to fostering a constructive dialogue on matters crucial to our collective welfare and progress, showcasing a dedication to collaborative problem-solving at the highest levels of government.
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February 2021
The Home Office’s answer to Crispin Blunt MP’s Written Parliamentary Question (see below) confirmed that as of February 2021 there was no way for a CBD product to prove that it contained no controlled cannabinoids.
This meant that despite CBD products being sold in shelves across UK high streets, there was no legal framework to underpin their sale.
To address this CDPRG’s Director of Research led the development of an in-depth report on the regulatory issues relating to non-medicinal CBD products.
This included proposals for the Government to regulate the definition of “zero” controlled cannabinoids, to clarify their exemption from otherwise illegal drug controls.
The report also made recommendations for the future of “full spectrum” CBD products.
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January 2021
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January 2021
The Home Office commissioned the ACMD to prepare a report on a legal, regulated market for CBD.
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Fall 2020
Following discussions with the CDPRG and Home Office, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) granted cannabis companies an environment where they can list in the London stock exchanges, not withstanding PoCA.
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June 2020
A written Parliamentary question tabled by Crispin Blunt MP and drafted with the support of CDPRG revealed that the Home Office had no definition of what constitutes “zero-threshold.”
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid compound that is not controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2010.
Whilst CBD is not controlled, it is practically impossible to prove a CBD product does not contain controlled cannabinoids.
This is because the Home Office have not specified what sensitivity threshold in a given laboratory test would prove that a product only contains CBD and not any other controlled cannabinoid. In other words, even the most sensitive laboratory tests which can prove that a CBD product has no controlled cannabinoids to a maximum specificity of 1 in 17 million parts, do not currently satisfy the Home Office that the product is exempt from control. This is because theoretically there could still be controlled cannabinoids below that threshold. In practice this means that all CBD products are technically classed as controlled drugs.
Despite this CBD products are widespread across the high street and sold in many mainstream supermarkets including Waitrose and Aldi. The industry is claimed to be £690m a year in sales volume.
Further growth, which some project could go into the billions, finds itself stalled by regulation.
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December 2020
The CDPRG briefed the Prime Minister and Home Office ahead of the UK vote at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs on controlled cannabinoids in CBD products.
