On CBD, Gottlieb says the science is way behind the hype

Sometimes it seems like edible CBD is everywhere: under scrutiny by local lawmakers, on private dining menus, in this newsletter. Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb takes a dim view of it all, dismissing the current hype around CBD dietary supplements. “There’s no science to demonstrate that putting it in the food supply has any medicinal value, let alone [to] support that it’s safe,” he tells STAT’s Nicholas Florko. And yet, Gottlieb concedes, once there is a scientific consensus, there may be a role for the FDA — which is holding a public hearing on CBD products next week — to play. “If you have CBD for breakfast, and CBD for lunch, and CBD for dinner, you’re getting a cumulative dose that could create some potential risk,” Gottlieb explains. “We need to answer that question. We haven’t answered that question.”