Regulatory, processing issues still cloud CBD category

HempRise, a business of Layn Corp., extracts CBD and other cannabinoids at a 100,000-square-foot facility in Jeffersonville. Mr. Einhorn expressed hope in HR 841, a bill introduced in the US House of Representatives in February by Kurt Schrader of Oregon. The bill allows the use of hemp, cannabidiol (i.e., CBD) derived from hemp, or any other ingredient derived from hemp in a dietary supplement, provided that the supplement meets other applicable requirements.

The bill does not address foods and beverages. Big brands in the beverage category are staying away from the CBD category because no clear regulatory guidance exists, said Andy Dratt, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Imbibe, a beverage innovation company based in Niles, Ill.

“You’re not really seeing the big players because they’re not willing to take the risk,” he said in a SupplySide West session on functional beverages. “They’re getting ready.”