Alexandra Klausner
May 31, 2019
New York Post
With such flavors as Half Baked, it should come as no surprise that Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream plans to tap into the growing CBD market.
The company, owned by Unilever, announced on its website Thursday that it will add CBD, short for cannabidiol, to its product as soon as it’s legalized on a federal level. CBD, which is a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, has yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA plans to hold a public hearing on the legalization of CBD on May 31, during which officials will hear arguments for use of cannabinol in food and beverages.
Ben & Jerry’s is encouraging people to reach out to the FDA now through July to express their support for CBD products.
If legalized, the company vows to use sustainably sourced CBD from Vermont, where the company is headquartered, Ben and Jerry’s announced on their website.
“We’re doing this for our fans,” Ben & Jerry’s CEO, Matthew McCarthy, said in a statement.
“We’ve listened and brought them everything from Non-Dairy indulgences to on-the-go portions with our Pint Slices. We aspire to love our fans more than they love us and we want to give them what they’re looking for in a fun, Ben & Jerry’s way.”
While the FDA has yet to approve the use of CBD in foods, it has approved a drug called Epidolex, which contains CBD and is effective at treating a rare form of epilepsy, Fox News reported.
CBD, which may contain a trace amount of key cannabis compound THC, doesn’t contain enough of it to get users high, experts say. CBD may promote relaxation or pain-relief, according to its proponents.
Ben & Jerry’s isn’t the only big company planning to add CBD to products. Walmart and Target are reportedly looking into making drinks, gummy bears, topical creams, and oils with CBD, should it become legal. And in addition to giving people anxiety relief, some animal owners say CBD is helping their pets with stress, seizures, and chronic pain.
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