By Dan Bolton
Roasters are at the forefront of the CBD wave, seeking to enhance the health benefits of coffee while avoiding regulatory sanctions following federal decriminalization of the non-psychoactive compound.
Cannabidiol (CBD) does not change brain function but researchers have yet to convincingly demonstrate CBD’s therapeutic relief for anxiety. Less well documented are claims that CBD reduces acne, promotes heart health, and diabetes prevention.
As the industry was celebrating the opening of the first CBD coffee shops and restaurant, The Food and Drug Administration in September sent warning letters to several companies for unapproved drug claims for humans (and animals, too).
This led the Food and Drug Administration in September to issue a warning to Curaleaf, a publicly traded multi-billion-dollar firm based in Canada, that a variety of statements on the company’s website constitute “unapproved human drug claims” and that its products are misbranded. These products include lotions, pain-relief patches, tinctures and vape pen products. The company was told it could not claim that CBD can be used to:
- To treat chronic pain;
- To reduce the symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, depression, PTD, and schizophrenia;
- As a natural alternative to pharmaceutical-grade treatments for depression and anxiety; To address eating disorders;
- To reduce the severity of opioid-related withdrawal;
- To deter heart disease;
- As an effective treatment for Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s;
- To kill breast cancer cells and counteract the spread of cancer
FDA wrote that the misbranding is due to labeling “that fails to bear adequate directions under which a layperson can use a drug safely and for the purpose for which it is intended.” Curaleaf quickly complied.
Washington is the latest state to ban CBD as a food and drink ingredient joining Ohio and North Carolina. Meanwhile, Maine and Massachusetts relaxed their policies. The Warehouse, Maine’s first cannabidiol-themed coffee shop opened in September as food and drinks containing CBD were banned in New York City.
NYC’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOH) announced that it would begin ordering all restaurants and bars in the city to stop selling CBD-infused products, citing an FDA ruling from December saying that it is “unlawful to add CBD to food or drink.”
Bushwick’s Caffeine Underground, owned by local DJ Ian Ford, was the first coffee shop in New York City to offer CBD infused beverages. The Flower Power Coffee House in Queens, Oliver Coffee in Chinatown, Bubby’s in Tribeca and Patent Coffee in the Flatiron followed with cold brew and a CBD Arnold Palmer.
In last month’s raids, DOH primarily targeted restaurants serving CBD edibles.
Fat Cat Kitchen owner CJ Holm told the Gothamist that inspectors placed $1,000 worth of CBD products into baggies but did not confiscate the goods. The baggies are dated and tagged as “embargoed.” No citations [fines range from $250 to $800] were issued but violators will be subject to fines after Oct. 1 for selling “adulterated foods.”
Giannis Houmis, who opened the CBD-friendly cafe Buds and Beans in Brooklyn earlier this year, told Gothamist he would stop offering his customers CBD-infused shots with their coffee but will keep selling individual CBD products on the side for customers to mix into their drinks on their own.
Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention granted The Warehouse a 60-day conditional license. John Jabar who processes 5,000 pounds of hemp daily, according to a report in Central Maine. Legalization is intentionally modeled on craft breweries where consumption is only allowed on-premise.
Coffee is healthful
Promoting coffee as healthful is a trend but unlike tea, the medical research and media are mixed. The relationship between coffee and health continues to be a heavily debated topic, according to the National Coffee Association (NCA).
“Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that coffee offers potential health benefits, from liver health to longevity. Yet many coffee drinkers remain misinformed about coffee and health, skewed by confusion and caffeine concerns,” said William (Bill) Murray, NCA president and c.e.o.
When the federal government decriminalized cultivation, legislatures in 46 states followed issuing 16,877 licenses issued to farmers in 34 states and expanding acreage to 511,442.
Consumers overwhelming praise CBD for relieving anxiety and depression; they say it provides a good night’s rest for insomniacs and treatment for chronic pain. It is clear that CBD (often paired with THC derived from marijuana) provides significant reduction of symptoms related to cancer and cancer treatment, including nausea, vomiting, and pain.
Coffee is said to be the perfect pairing because CBD smooths the buzz without sacrificing the energy you get from a cup of coffee. “When you consume them both, you experience a bit of a push-pull effect,” writes the Augusta Free Press, adding, “While you may be tempted to think they are supposed to cancel each other out, the reality is that their effects enhance each other.”
Marketers point out that drinking coffee may decrease the risk of depression. A Harvard Study published in 2011 in the Archives of Internal Medicine tracked 50,739 women for 10 years. The women selected were free of depression. Researchers found the risk of depression to be 20% lower among women who drank four or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day.
A newly released report by Acosta research titled “The CBD Effect: A Rapidly Emerging Consumer Trend” found that 28% of consumers currently use CBD products daily or as-needed. The key demographics are millennials, males and those with four-year degrees. Of those reporting daily use, 56% were millennials. Only 15% of boomers and 32% of Gen X use CBD daily
“CBD sales and projections show consumers are turning to CBD for help, and demand is growing rapidly,” said Colin Stewart, s.v.p., business intelligence at Acosta. “Consumer CBD sales are expected to reach $20 billion by 2024 — larger than the current annual sales of candy, gum, and mints combined,” he said.