Major safety alert over CBD products promoted by celebrities including Claudia Winkleman is issued by watchdogs

Watchdogs have issued a major safety alert over CBD products promoted by celebrities such as Claudia Winkleman to boost health and well-being.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned that regular long-term consumption of cannabidiol, derived from the marijuana plant, is ‘potentially harmful’ to the liver and thyroid.

As a result, it has drastically reduced the recommended daily intake limit for the chemical from 70mg to just 10mg.

It is the first time that any government food watchdog around the world has produced such a limit for CBD. 

The FSA’s move will raise concerns among the millions who regularly consume CBD based on claims it provides relief for anxiety and depression, aids sleep and relaxation, and helps joint pain.

Boxer Anthony Joshua has a partnership with CBD brand Love Hemp

TRIP is one of the leading brands of CBD products, best known for its cans containing 15mg of the substance at a time

It will also be a hammer blow to the fast-growing industry, worth £690million a year, with more than 400 companies supplying products to 18million adults in the UK.

Brand leaders include the TRIP drink, which has 15mg of CBD per can, but the product also comes as capsules, oils and gummies, some containing as much as 50mg in a single serving. 

Ms Winkleman is the brand ambassador for Cannaray. Gummies produced by the company can contain up to 30mg. 

Naturecan’s investors include former cricketer Freddie Flintoff, while sports presenter Laura Woods, former footballer and pundit Jamie Redknapp, and TV presenter Lisa Snowdon have promoted its products.

The firm said its products are safe and the FSA has accepted there is ‘no acute safety risk’ with consuming more than 10mg of CBD a day. 

Boxer Anthony Joshua has a partnership with Love Hemp and former England rugby star George Kruis is a founder of CBD brand fourfive.

While the FSA is not banning high-strength CBD products, it plans to work with manufacturers to address its concerns.

Professor Robin May at the FSA, said: ‘The more CBD you consume over your lifetime, the more likely you are to develop long-term adverse effects, like liver damage or thyroid issues. 

‘The level of risk is related to how much you take, in the same way it is with some other potentially harmful products such as alcoholic drinks.’

The Association for the Cannabinoid Industry said: ‘Our scientific panel will examine the scientific evidence to better understand how the FSA have come to their conclusion.’