New York City's Health Department has prohibited local eateries and bars from serving food infused with cannabidiol - the marijuana extract more commonly known as CBD. What makes the crackdown all the more strange, is the fact that CBD has been legalized pretty much across the board, New York State-included.
The Health Department argument against CBD-infused cuisine and mixology is centered around its "non-psychoactive" status. But little do they know, all that means is that CBD can't get you high, by virtue of that designation.
And it's true, CBD doesn't get you high, all on its own. And yet, the Health Department went ahead with its prohibitive measure. "Restaurants in New York City are not permitted to add anything to food or drink that is not approved as safe to eat," a department spokesperson expressed in a written statement. "The Health Department takes seriously its responsibility to protect New Yorkers’ health. Until cannabidiol (CBD) is deemed safe as a food additive, the Department is ordering restaurants not to offer products containing CBD."
Five NY-based restaurants have already been apprehended by rogue DOH agents. This ruling is a loss for everyone involved: the cannabis consumer, entrepreneur, the food and beverage industry, and especially those who suffer who benefit from a CBD-infused diet in order to combat chronic pain and ailments.