Evidence for side effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products and their non-conformity on the European food market – response to the European Industrial Hemp Association

Lachenmeier, Dirk W.; Walch, Stephan G.

doi:10.12688/f1000research.26045.1

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…For further details on interpretation of results and toxicity assessment, see Lachenmeier et al 2 . A detailed rationale for the estimation of the daily dose of products to be applied for the risk assessment has been provided in a correspondence article 34 .…”

Section: ∆ 9 -Thc Contamination Of Commercial Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are adverse effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?

Lachenmeier

Habel²,

Fischer³

et al. 2022

F1000Res

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Cannabidiol (CBD)-containing products are widely marketed as over the counter products, mostly as food supplements. Adverse effects reported in anecdotal consumer reports or during clinical studies were first assumed to be due to hydrolytic conversion of CBD to psychotropic Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in the stomach after oral consumption. However, research of pure CBD solutions stored in simulated gastric juice or subjected to various storage conditions such as heat and light with specific liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) and ultra-high pressure liquid chromatographic/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometric (UPLC-QTOF) analyses was unable to confirm THC formation. Another hypothesis for the adverse effects of CBD products may be residual Δ9-THC concentrations in the products as contamination, because most of them are based on hemp extracts containing the full spectrum of cannabinoids besides CBD. Analyses of 293 food products of the German market (mostly CBD oils) confirmed this hypothesis: 28 products (10%) contained Δ9-THC above the lowest observed adverse effect level (2.5 mg/day). Hence, it may be assumed that the adverse effects of some commercial CBD products are based on a low-dose effect of Δ9-THC, with the safety of CBD itself currently being unclear with significant uncertainties regarding possible liver and reproductive toxicity. The safety, efficacy and purity of commercial CBD products is highly questionable, and all of the products in our sample collection showed various non-conformities to European food law such as unsafe Δ9-THC levels, hemp extracts or CBD isolates as non-approved novel food ingredients, non-approved health claims, and deficits in mandatory food labelling requirements. In view of the growing market for such lifestyle products, the effectiveness of the instrument of food business operators' own responsibility for product safety and regulatory compliance must obviously be challenged, and a strong regulatory framework for hemp products needs to be devised.

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Section: ∆ 9 -Thc Contamination Of Commercial Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are adverse effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?

Lachenmeier

Habel²,

Fischer³

et al. 2022

F1000Res

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For this reason, the consumption of the whole bottle at once was assumed as worst-case exposure scenario. Because the product was only labelled as "oil" and not as "food supplement", this scenario is not deemed unrealistic, specifically since CBD is a novelty on the market and the product may be mistaken for a conventional edible oil 24 .…”

Section: ∆ 9 -Thc Contamination Of Commercial Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For all products, a case-by-case judgement was conducted, also considering manufacturers' warning labels drawing attention to not exceeding the recommended daily intake. Also see Lachenmeier and Walch for further details on estimation of daily doses 24 .…”

Section: ∆ 9 -Thc Contamination Of Commercial Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Are adverse effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cannabidiol (CBD)-containing products are widely marketed as over the counter products, mostly as food supplements. Adverse effects reported in anecdotal consumer reports or during clinical studies were first assumed to be due to hydrolytic conversion of CBD to psychotropic Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in the stomach after oral consumption. However, research of pure CBD solutions stored in simulated gastric juice or subjected to various storage conditions such as heat and light with specific liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) and ultra-high pressure liquid chromatographic/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometric (UPLC-QTOF) analyses was unable to confirm THC formation. Another hypothesis for the adverse effects of CBD products may be residual Δ9-THC concentrations in the products as contamination, because most of them are based on hemp extracts containing the full spectrum of cannabinoids besides CBD. Analyses of 181 food products of the German market (mostly CBD oils) confirmed this hypothesis: 21 products (12%) contained Δ9-THC above the lowest observed adverse effect level (2.5 mg/day). Inversely, CBD was present in the products below the no observed adverse effect level. Hence, it may be assumed that the adverse effects of some commercial CBD products are based on a low-dose effect of Δ9-THC and not due to effects of CBD itself. The safety, efficacy and purity of commercial CBD products is highly questionable, and all of the products in our sample collection showed various non-conformities to European food law such as unsafe Δ9-THC levels, hemp extracts or CBD isolates as non-approved novel food ingredients, non-approved health claims, and deficits in mandatory food labelling requirements. In view of the growing market for such lifestyle products, the effectiveness of the instrument of food business operators' own responsibility for product safety and regulatory compliance must obviously be challenged, and a strong regulatory framework for hemp products needs to be devised.

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Cannabis sativa Cannabinoids as Functional Ingredients in Snack Foods—Historical and Developmental Aspects

Krüger

Eeden

Beswa

2022

Plants

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The published health benefits of Cannabis sativa has caught the attention of health-conscious consumers and the food industry. Historically, seeds have long been utilized as a food source and currently there is an increasing number of edibles on the market that contain cannabis. Cannabinoids include the psychoactive constituent, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and the non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) that are both compounds of interest in Cannabis sativa. This paper looks at the distribution of nutrients and phytocannabinoids in low-THC Cannabis sativa, the historical uses of hemp, cannabis edibles, and the possible side-effects and concerns related to cannabis edibles. Several authors have pointed out that even though the use of cannabis edibles is considered safe, it is important to mention their possible side-effects and any concerns related to its consumption that negatively influence consumer acceptance of cannabis edibles. Such risks include unintentional overdose by adults and accidental ingestion by children and adolescents resulting in serious adverse effects. Therefore, cannabis edibles should be specifically packaged and labelled to differentiate them from known similar non-cannabis edibles so that, together with tamperproof packaging, these measures reduce the appeal of these products to children.

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Evidence for side effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products and their non-conformity on the European food market – response to the European Industrial Hemp Association

Cited by 3 publications

References 45 publications

Are adverse effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?

Are adverse effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?

Are adverse effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?

Cannabis sativa Cannabinoids as Functional Ingredients in Snack Foods—Historical and Developmental Aspects

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