Interview with Ally Hasbun on CBD Cosmetics

This episode featured a conversation with Ally Hasbun, PhD student researching cannabis. CBD (Cannabidiol) cosmetics is a big trend right now, but how much do we really know about this cannabinoid? Pertinent to this discussion, just a couple of days ago, the FDA issued warning letters to 15 companies for illegally selling products containing CBD in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The FDA also published a revised Consumer Update detailing safety concerns; based on the lack of data supporting safety, the FDA indicated that it cannot conclude that CBD is generally recognized as safe (GRAS). In my conversation with Ally, we talked about what CBD is, the available data we have, regulations, quality control, and lots more. Something I found very interesting - CBD readily oxidizes… with all of the cosmetic products indicating a 1-year shelf life, without any suggestions of refrigeration to keep the CBD intact, how much CBD is actually in these products when they reach consumers?