Spanish Medical Cannabis Observatory calls for CBD regulation

The Spanish Medical Cannabis Observatory – a nonprofit organization composed of researchers, doctors, and patient advocacy groups, founded in 2015 with the aim of informing the debate on medical cannabis – conducted a survey earlier this month on CBD oils sold in Spain. The survey found that the composition of the vast majority of these products does not match the dosage indicated on the label. The Observatory recommends that the government regulate the CBD market for the benefit of patients.

The study

The study The composition analysis was conducted in a blind test by two independent laboratories: the Narcotics Analysis Unit of the Madrid City Council’s Public Health Laboratory and the CANNA Foundation Laboratory. Both laboratories analyzed a batch of 15 CBD brands among the best-selling and most widely consumed in Spain. The results show that two-thirds of the oils contained CBD levels that differed from those indicated on their labels. Only 5 of the 15 oils had a CBD content that matched the stated dosage: Cannamor 2.5%, Enecta 3%, Vitalhemp 2.5%, Endoca 3%, and Sativida 4%.

The Spanish CBD market has developed amid legal uncertainty, and the lack of regulation prevents patients from having any guarantee of quality control over the products they purchase. They are therefore more likely to fall victim to misleading advertisements or dishonest producers. Fortunately, the study showed that the risks associated with pesticides and heavy metals are negligible, despite their minimal presence in products labeled «100% natural.» What concerns the Observatory most is that CBD products sometimes contain only trace amounts of the active ingredient and are therefore ineffective, even though people use them for medicinal purposes.

The Observatory is calling on brands to verify ingredient concentrations and to avoid touting therapeutic properties that have not been scientifically proven. It points out that patients are the first to suffer from this situation because they lack access to a reliable product, and seeks to raise awareness about the need to regulate this market: «It is desirable to implement a dedicated regulatory framework to adequately assess the quality and safety of CBD oils used by patients and to oversee the production, manufacturing, and distribution of these products.». The OECM emphasizes «the urgent need to regulate in order to avoid misleading patients.».

The government refuses to hold a debate

In its press release, the OECM emphasizes that it is the PP and the PSOE—the two traditional political parties—that are blocking and refusing to allow debate in Parliament, while Ciudadanos and Podemos are calling for legislation on medical cannabis. In fact, the Socialist government has taken largely conservative stances on this issue. For example, the new Minister of Health, María Luisa Carcedo, said that cannabis «is not a medicine» and that it «has no proven therapeutic value.» For its part, the ministry has stated that legal means of using cannabis for medical treatment already exist, citing certain legal provisions. In reality, this does nothing to change the fact that the production of medical cannabis is completely unregulated.

The Minister of Health, who has repeatedly refused to meet with representatives of the Observatory, has also expressed concern that the regulation of medical cannabis would lead to an increase in tobacco use. In response, the Observatory stated that «medical cannabis should under no circumstances be smoked: it is inhaled using vaporizers (…) and is used in extracts, capsules, and creams.» «Moreover, tobacco use has nothing to do with denying medical care, quality of life, and well-being to thousands of people who are suffering, experiencing pain, and already using cannabis for self-medication,» adds the OECM.