Los cosméticos son uno de los aspectos positivos de la normativa federal sobre el cannabis. Sin embargo, lamentablemente, existen bastantes malentendidos en torno al marco legal federal que regula los cosméticos de cannabis. A raíz de una pregunta que se planteó durante un seminario web reciente, a continuación se exponen los aspectos básicos que las marcas de cannabis deben tener en cuenta.
First, the distinction between hemp and marijuana applies to cosmetics. If a cosmetic's THC content exceeds 0.3%, it is considered marijuana and is a controlled substance under federal law.
Second, provided its THC level does not exceed 0.3%, there is no prohibition on the use of cannabis as a cosmetics ingredient. According to FDA, "certain cosmetic ingredients are prohibited or restricted by regulation, but currently that is not the case for any cannabis or cannabis-derived ingredients."
Este margen legal distingue a los cosméticos de otros productos, como los alimentos. En virtud de la norma de exclusión de medicamentos, los alimentos a los que se haya añadido CBD o THC no pueden venderse ni comercializarse legalmente en Estados Unidos (incluso si el THC no supera el umbral del 0,3 %).
En tercer lugar, aunque la presencia de cannabis como ingrediente no convierte por sí sola a un producto cosmético en ilegal, las marcas deben cumplir con otras normativas. Por un lado, aunque el cannabis no sea un ingrediente prohibido, las marcas deben asegurarse de que sus productos no contengan ninguno de los ingredientes que sí están prohibidos. Además:
"no ingredient – including a cannabis or cannabis-derived ingredient – can be used in a cosmetic if it causes the product to be adulterated or misbranded in any way. A cosmetic generally is adulterated if it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to users under the conditions of use prescribed in the labeling, or under such conditions of use as are customary or usual."
Finally, depending on its intended use, a cosmetic can also be considered a drug, as defined in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Drugs are intended to "affect the structure or function of the body, or to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent disease."
Depending on a cosmetic's nature, the line between being considered a drug or not is a fine one. It is however a line of great legal import. A CBD cosmetic may be lawful under federal law, provided it meets all of the legal requirements for cosmetics. On the other hand, a CBD drug is certainly unlawful.
