MILAN, Feb 9 (Reuters) – The EU food safety agency indicated a safe consumption level for cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, for the first time on Monday, setting a lower bar compared with other countries such as Britain and Switzerland.
CBD-infused food and drink items include sweets, honey, biscuits, cakes, tea and coffee. Unlike marijuana, CBD is not intoxicating and is known for its potential therapeutic effects, such as reducing anxiety, pain and inflammation.
The Italy-based EU agency, known as EFSA, said its panel of experts had established a provisional safe intake level of 0.0275 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day – roughly 2 mg a day for a 70‑kg adult.
This compares with a limit of 10 mg per day in Britain, 12 mg per day in Switzerland, and a range of 20-200 mg per day, for a maximum of 30 days, in Canada, provided users discuss the use of all other medications and substances used with their pharmacist.
EFSA said it applied an additional safety margin in its calculation due to incomplete evidence about CBD usage, and excluded people under 25, pregnant or breastfeeding women and individuals taking medication from its assessment.
“Uncertainties remain regarding the kinetic behaviour and the effects of long-term consumption of CBD on the liver, neurological functions and the reproductive and immune systems,” it noted.
Safe consumption levels could be reassessed as new data becomes available, the regulator said.
(Reporting by Claudia Cristoferi, editing Alvise Armellini and Anil D’Silva)
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