The US FDA is considering regulating the cannabis compound CBD in food and dietary supplements

©Health & Fitness Journal. FILE PHOTO: Signs are seen in front of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, U.S. on August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

(Health & Fitness Journal) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to issue recommendations to regulate the use of the popular cannabis compound CBD in foods and dietary supplements, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing agency officials.

After considering the evidence of the compound’s safety, the FDA will decide within months how legal cannabis should be regulated and whether that will require new government regulations or new legislation from Congress, the report said.

Shares of US-listed cannabis companies fell between 5% and 9% in afternoon trade after the report.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a non-psychoactive compound derived from cannabis.

Cannabis products, with the exception of Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:) Plc’s Epidiolex, are illegal at the federal level in the United States, although some states allow their use.

The agency wants to know if CBD is safe to consume long-term or during pregnancy given concerns about future fertility, Patrick Cournoyer, who heads the FDA office that develops the agency’s cannabis strategy, told WSJ.

When asked for comment, the FDA referred Health & Fitness Journal to a statement last year that said the agency was taking steps to improve regulatory pathways for the lawful marketing of appropriate cannabis and cannabis-derived products .