Over the past four years, one question has repeatedly surfaced within the UK hemp and CBD industry: how did certain CBD products, including those linked to Pureis, come to be included on the Food Standards Agency CBD Public List despite clear requirements that products had to be on the market before 13 February 2020? This article examines the evidence, correspondence, FOI disclosures, and complaint files surrounding that question.

This isn’t just about hemp or novel foods — it’s about the entire framework of cannabis regulation in the UK, how that framework was shaped, and who shaped it.