U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the federal agency that regulates foods, dietary supplements, drugs, cosmetics and animal products, including those that contain cannabinoids.

Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act the agency decides which category a product belongs to based on its ingredients and the claims made for it. The agency has approved one cannabidiol prescription drug for specific seizure disorders and has stated that because CBD is an active ingredient in an approved drug, it cannot lawfully be added to conventional foods or marketed as a dietary supplement under current law; the agency has asked Congress for a new regulatory pathway. The same act applies to pet products, which the agency's Center for Veterinary Medicine oversees.

In practice the agency enforces mainly by sending warning letters to companies that make disease claims, sell to children, or market products with test results that contradict their labels. Consumers meet the agency's role on labels, which may not claim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease, and in the absence of a federal approval for any over-the-counter cannabinoid product.