Australia moves towards over-the-counter CBD

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the Australian Department of Health's therapeutic products regulator, unveiled on Friday a proposal to reclassify the CBD which would allow it to be sold over the counter at non-therapeutic doses. The Administration has also opened a public comment period which will end next month.

Currently, CBD preparations are listed in Schedule 4 and authorized for therapeutic use as long as 98% of the preparation's cannabinoid content is CBD. With proposed changes, CBD would move to Schedule 3, no longer requiring a prescription, and as long as the following conditions apply:

• Cannabidiol is either of plant origin or synthetic under certain conditions.
• The maximum recommended daily dose is 60 mg or less.
• The product is presented in packaging containing no more than 30 days' supply.
• Cannabidiol represents 98% or more of the total cannabinoid content of the preparation.
• All cannabinoids, other than CBD, must be those found naturally in cannabis and comprise 2% or less of the total cannabinoid content of the preparation.
• The product is intended for adults aged 18 and over.

This proposal comes after the TGA conducted a «safety review» of CBD products. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that CBD products containing up to 0.2% THC be removed from international drug control. A vote on this WHO recommendation was expected at the March meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, but the vote was postponed at the December meeting.