Denver, CO, Dec. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the CBD industry’s ever-changing environment, having a strong communications plan should be high on your company’s priority list. At any time, government action can rattle your customers, retail partners, and even your employees into questioning the safety of your product. Being prepared to respond authoritatively will help protect your brand’s integrity.
On November 25, 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to 15 companies for illegally selling products containing cannabidiol (CBD) in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). The FDA has previously sent warning letters to other companies illegally selling CBD products in interstate commerce that claimed to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat or cure serious diseases, such as cancer, or otherwise violated the FD&C Act. Some of these products were in further violation because CBD was added to food, and some of the products were also marketed as dietary supplements. Under the FD&C Act, it is illegal to introduce into interstate commerce any human or animal food to which certain drug ingredients, such as CBD, have been added.
The FDA also just published a revised “consumer update” stating that CBD can cause significant side effects including potential liver injury, interactions with other drugs, drowsiness, diarrhea, and changes in mood. Citing a lack of scientific evidence showing that CBD is safe in food, the FDA also stated that it cannot conclude that CBD is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for human or animals to consume in food or drinks.
In its update, the FDA’s Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy, M.D., Ph.D. stated, “Aside from one prescription drug approved to treat two pediatric epilepsy disorders, these products have not been approved by the FDA and we want to be clear that a number of questions remain regarding CBD’s safety – including reports of products containing contaminants, such as pesticides and heavy metals – and there are real risks that need to be considered. We recognize the significant public interest in CBD and we must work together with stakeholders and industry to fill in the knowledge gaps about the science, safety and quality of many of these products.”
The FDA plans to provide an update on its approach to regulating CBD products in the coming weeks.
HOW SHOULD YOUR COMPANY RESPOND?
The recent FDA announcement calls for a public response to acknowledge the situation and reassure your customers. Ignoring developments like this will only cause your company to appear out-of-touch, or worse, intentionally deceptive.
Transparency is required to build and maintain trust and to avoid confusion. Your website, social media, direct mail, and email communications should feature a clear response to let customers know company leadership is aware of the situation and is taking it seriously.
Get more details on the 5-step process on M&C Communications' website.
M&C Communications knows that good communication is the heart of every successful business. We are a trusted partner in helping clients communicate effectively to customers, employees, partners, and the media. We build powerful communication plans based on our clients’ business goals. We are trusted advisors for CBD public relations, crisis forecasting and planning, business development, internal/external communications, and Insider Media Relations training.