Our Trip to the FDA Was a Rousing Success

We’re back from the swamp.
Our trip to the nation’s capital was a rousing success.
Perhaps you saw us on the news… or read the online reports about what we told the panel of wonks at the FDA.
Every outlet from our local station to The New York Times to CNBC covered last week’s hearing on CBD, its vast potential and its regulatory fate.
Of course, none of them covered it well… especially when it comes to our remarks.

GET IT RIGHT

Here’s a bit of what we told the decision-makers…

I believe that – if the folks charged with liberating CBD from its shackles make the right decisions – CBD is just a few years away from being perceived by the average American no differently from vitamin C, or any other common drugstore vitamin. The main difference will be that, unlike vitamin C, the average American will be able to experience significant tangible health benefits from CBD.

That first line made the panelists squirm in their seats. And the last line had our fellow speakers nodding their heads and grunting their approval.
For a bit, we felt like we were preaching in the front of a southern church.
Much of the audience of doctors and researchers was on our side.
Nearly all who presented had convincing evidence that CBD has powerful results… with virtually no side effects.
We had more to say…

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re talking about a safe, natural compound with seemingly endless benefits for users… one with very little – if any – risk of significant downside.
For my money, CBD may be one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind in the pursuit of health. It’s outrageous that corporate greed and red tape have forced most Americans to spend the last eight decades in the dark.

The average person with at least a double-digit IQ would hear those words and understand we’re quite upbeat on the role CBD can play in our overall health.
But not the mainstream press.

OUR DEBATE WITHIN THE DEBATE

It reports the story it wants you to hear. And after sitting in the hearing and after reading its coverage of it… Big News is sticking tight by the side of its ad-buying pals in Big Pharma.
Before we get to what the press reported about our presentation, it’s vital you know some more facts.
You see, after we concluded our remarks, the group of panelists reached for their microphones as if they were clicking to share the answer on a game show.
It was a race to get their voices heard… especially because of our carefully chosen comments on vitamin C.
Most folks don’t know it, but the oh-so-common vitamin is a bit of a thorn in the FDA’s side.
Its story almost perfectly mirrors CBD’s tale.
But most folks have no idea.
Several years ago, 60 Minutes got the nation’s attention when it detailed the quick recovery of a patient suffering from swine flu. He was nearly dead. The docs were ready to unplug him from life support.
But with nothing to lose, his family insisted on injecting him with a high dose of vitamin C. Since it wasn’t an “approved” tactic, the hospital refused.
The man’s family had to threaten the docs with high-powered lawyers.
They are glad they did. The farmer made a full recovery.
Similar tales are popping up all across the world.
But the FDA, of course, has a problem with vitamin C. It’s the same problem it has with CBD.
It’s not patentable and falls into a legal black hole that sucks in every last atom of common sense.
The ubiquitous vitamin’s definition is split between a drug and a vitamin.
Saddled by the law… the FDA is forced to sit and drool as it tries to work the problem out.
It has sided with Big Pharma and kept medical-grade vitamin C (what many say is a dirt-cheap cure) largely off the market.
In its place, Big Pharma can sell much more expensive man-made concoctions.

THE FDA THROWS A LOW BLOW

Again… it’s the same story with CBD.
And that’s why the FDA grilled us on our take. It caught us playing dirty.
“Do you think it’s safe to give CBD to children?” one panelist asked after we put away our notes.
We should have known the trite but powerful “think about the children” tactic was the setup for a low blow… but we’re always up for a fight.
“I’m not a doctor,” we replied. “That’s for these people to decide.”
It was a jab right back at them… as most doctors who spoke complained the FDA’s idleness keeps them from effectively studying the natural compound.
“Would you give vitamin C to your kids?” the FDA’s boxer asked.
“Yes, we would.”
“Would you give them CBD?” he asked, knowing he just caught us with our hands by our side.
“No,” we said sternly.
A gasp was heard across the room.
We took a sturdy blow below the belt, but we still stand firm.
In today’s environment – which is 100% the fault of the FDA and its do-nothing attitude – we would not let our children ingest just any random CBD pill or supplement.
Because of the FDA’s failure to implement any sort of commonsense regulations or enforce the industry’s standard good manufacturing practices (which are mandatory for vitamin C suppliers), the current CBD market is rife with imposters, cheats and liars.
Sorting the good from the bad takes a lot of work and independent testing.
Unless we personally vetted the manufacturer and studied its product, we wouldn’t use the product ourselves. And we certainly wouldn’t give it to a kid.
But once the production gets our nod… all bets are off.
Like we said in our prepared remarks, “CBD may be one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind in the pursuit of health.”
But did the press bother to make the connection? Did it bother to dig deeper in its “ceaseless search for the truth”?
Phooey.
Of course not.

ALL WRONG

Here’s what CNBC had to say about us…

Andy Snyder, who writes e-letter Manward Press [They couldn’t even get that right], criticized the FDA for acting too slowly on regulating CBD, saying most Americans will view CBD like vitamin C or other common drugs or vitamins. Schiller asked whether Snyder was familiar with any data on CBD use in children and whether he’s supportive of it. Snyder said he’s a publisher, not a scientist, but he wouldn’t give CBD to his children.
“Would you give your son or daughter vitamin C?” Schiller asked.
“I would,” Snyder replied.

Read that and much of the other reporting about CBD and you’d think we’re opposed to CBD hitting the market. The so-called journalist makes it sound like we want rabid regulation of the industry.
What a lark.
Here are the facts… CBD is quickly proving to be a wonderful, natural remedy. The FDA penned its way into a legal nightmare that it can’t get out of. And it’s looking to its sponsors at Big Pharma for help.
We were clear last week, and so were our fellow speakers. The FDA needs to get out of the way and let Americans have access to a safe, effective medicine that nature intends us to use.
If that’s not clear enough… don’t worry.
We’re not done sharing our thoughts.
There’s more to this story… a whole lot more.