There’s no denying it – the upcoming Novel Foods regulation will shape the future of the UK CBD market. Companies will now have until March 31st to submit a novel foods application in order to sell any edible CBD products – this could cause a large number of oral oils and supplements to disappear from the shelves of wellness shops nationwide. This shift in the industry will leave a lot of CBD enthusiasts looking for alternative ways to continue using full-spectrum products. The potential solution? Full-spectrum CBD vape oils.
What is the Novel Foods regulation?
A Novel Food is a product that has not been consumed to a large enough extent prior to 1997. This can include foods that have traditionally been consumed elsewhere in the world but are new to the UK (e.g. baobab, chia seeds), as well as newer products such as cholesterol-reducing margarine spreads.
Under this regulation, oral products containing CBD will be considered novel foods and will require the approval of novel food applications in order to be sold on the UK market. Whilst cannabis products such as hemp seeds and oils will not be affected by this law, all full-spectrum products are now at risk of disappearing from our shelves.
What are full spectrum CBD products?
The cannabis plant contains many beneficial chemical compounds, including:
- Cannabinoids: there are more than 100 of these compounds within the plant, the most famous being THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol).
- Terpenes: there are over 150 terpenes found in the cannabis plant species, the combination of these terpenes gives each plant a unique fragrance and aroma therapeutic effect.
- Flavonoids: these compounds are found in all kinds of plants, from vegetables to grains. The 20 different flavonoids in the cannabis plant have beneficial therapeutic effects.
Full-spectrum CBD products contain all of these compounds, whilst broad-spectrum CBD products remove THC, and CBD isolate removes everything except CBD.
Companies such as HighKind, produce full-spectrum CBD products with the firm belief that the combination of the entire cannabis plant holds the most benefits for users.
What does regulation mean for CBD products?
The stance that the new Novel Food regulation takes on CBD products is clear:
“… CBD extract and isolate products are legally novel foods. There are currently no authorised CBD extracts or isolates on the market.”
The FSA are demanding that all CBD companies submit a novel food application by March 31st in order to be eligible for sale. Whilst this might initially appear to be a simple process, the truth is far from it.
The problem lies in complexity. CBD isolate products are far more manageable for the FSA to approve, monitor and regulate as they contain one compound: CBD. However, broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD products contain multiple compounds, each of which would have to be monitored and regulated.
Essentially, it is these complexities that will probably cause the FSA to reject novel food applications for full-spectrum products and remove them from the market.
So, where will users be able to get full-spectrum CBD products?
Why full-spectrum vape oils are the answer
Unlike CBD products for oral consumption, CBD vaping products will not be subject to the new FSA regulation – which is a huge win for CBD users that want to benefit from the effects of full-spectrum products.
All good full-spectrum vape products will contain the complete span of compounds from the cannabis plant – i.e. hand-selected terpenes, and a wide range of cannabinoids and flavonoids – which all combine to provide an authentic and enriching CBD experience.
Many people believe that this full-spectrum of compounds holds the most aromatherapeutic benefit for users. However, these will become unavailable as oral oils on the market and make vaping products the best alternative solution.
The takeaway
If you’re currently using CBD to benefit from the effects of full-spectrum products, you might have to reassess what will be available to you following the novel food regulation on March 31st.
Oral oils and supplements that contain the full complexity of compounds that the cannabis plant has to offer, will most likely not be an option for the future.
However, CBD vaping products provide an alternative. Anyone that’s looking to gain the full therapeutic benefits of full-spectrum CBD should begin to see the products that companies such as HighKind provide as an ideal solution.
