In journalism and media industry for more than twenty years, worked for a number of media companies. Business editing, research and PR specialist. Covering industry and science news for Ilesol Pharmaceuticals.
In January, the Swiss Association of Cantonal Chemists published the results of their 2021 analysis of the controlled food that contains cannabis or cannabis extracts marketed as CBD.
The results show that 85 out of 100 analyzed products don’t fully meet the safety criteria, and 73 were banned from sale.
In the 2021 national campaign, the Association of Cantonal Chemists in Switzerland examined 100 different foods that contain cannabis or cannabis extracts and attracted attention due to specific CBD claims. The analysis included dietary supplements, hemp teas, chewing gums, chocolate, and products with no clear assignment but intended for ingestion, such as CBD oils.
The analysis resulted in a sales ban, with CBD oils being most affected – 43 out of 46 analyzed products were banned.
The goal of the campaign was to assess the marketability in relation to the composition, in particular compliance with the THC maximum values and illegal CBD medicinal claims.
The results of the study, with a complaint rate of 85%, show a desolate situation in which the market players are insufficiently or not at all aware of the self-regulation that they are legally obliged to exercise, points out the Association in their press release.
The sales bans and recalls had to be issued because of excessive THC levels or the use of unauthorized hemp extracts.
The legal limit for THC content in CBD products in Switzerland is 1%. In October 2021, the Swiss government announced a trial including 5.000 participants per canton to establish a new framework that would further soften national cannabis regulations. The trial is designed to promote a domestic cultivation market, including recreational cannabis.
Also, the Swiss market is expected to become the first European market to extensively feature products such as extracts and edibles, not much present on the European shelves so far.
The Czech Republic is the only EU country that recently lifted the THC content limit to 1%, while other EU countries hold it at 0.2%, or lift it up to 0.3% in accordance with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).