Moving the Goalposts: An analysis of the Food Standards Agency and Home Office management of a wholefood through drug law
- 22 hours ago
- 2 min read
A White Paper by Cefyn Jones, Founder of The Hemp Hound Agency
Hemp was used as food long before it was classified as medicine or a narcotic. Within EU and UK food law, this history of consumption has been the critical factor in determining whether a hemp product is novel. However, in recent years the Food Standards Agency (FSA), influenced by the Home Office, has shifted its definitions and approach.
This has created regulatory uncertainty for businesses, and confusion in the courts, where whole-plant hemp and associated products risk being treated as drugs instead of foods.
This paper analyses the regulatory history of traditionally processed hemp and CBD products, the Home Office’s growing assertion of ownership over cannabinoids, relevant case law, and the commercial context in which these changes have occurred.
Download the Full White Paper (PDF)
This white paper is open to rebuttal. I welcome critique — provided it is supported by solid evidence or by opinion grounded in genuine industry experience. Given the subject matter, I ask that responses remain respectful.
This is not about protecting my feelings, but about ensuring fairness to the individuals named in this document. Respectful dialogue increases the chance that those individuals will engage for the sake of clarity and transparency.
Please leave rebuttals in the comment section of this article, and indicate whether you are happy for me to reference your comment in future work that develops the intentions of this paper.
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