Looking for a sweet gig? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a notice last week in search of somebody to sample and assess thousands of CBD products.
Before you update your resumé, though, let’s be clear: The agency is actually seeking to award a contract to a professional scientific company that will conduct tests and analyze CBD levels in marketplace items. The aim is to gather data that will help shape federal regulations going forward.
It’s a big job. The testing body will be in charge of gathering between 1,000 and 3,000 samples from CBD-infused items that are presently for sale across the United States. For example, the FDA lists “beverages, water, candy, baked goods, oils and tinctures that can be added to human or animal foods, including pills, capsules, gel caps, gummies, and other forms.”
Once rounded up, the contractor will analyze the material for CBD and other cannabinoid components by way of approved methodologies such as liquid and gas chromatography. The contractor will also look for pesticides, residual solvents, microbiological contaminants, and other toxic elements that will harsh your mellow.
“In addition,” the FDA wrote, “this task order will be used to collect cosmetic samples for shipment to a third party for analysis. The purpose of these studies will be to develop a better understanding of the quantities of CBD and associated cannabinoids and their distribution. The goal will be to collect and analyze a statistically relevant number of samples. The reliability of the results will be supported by specified quality assurance/quality control processes within the study.”
The agency also wrote that the final results “will not only be reported to Congress, but will also be used to guide the development of future policy.”
Last month, the FDA submitted an updated report to Congress on its ongoing CBD product inquiries, which concluded that inconsistency and mislabeling are considerable issues in the current marketplace. On the positive side, the FDA said it found no discernible presence of dangerous metals or minerals added to CBD products.
“FDA recognizes the significant public interest in CBD products,” the agency stated. “However, there are many questions about the characteristics of currently marketed CBD products because the Agency lacks significant information on what CBD-containing products are on the market and there is little data available on those products themselves.”
The next step for the FDA was to post its want ad for an outside contractor. If you do fit the bill after all, the due date to submit your application is August 31.
