CRN members advocate for industry via inaugural “Supplement Advocacy Send-In”

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The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington D.C.) has announced that it has transitioned its annual Day on the Hill event to an online drive, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Known as the “Supplement Advocacy Send-In,” this new online event encourages CRN member companies to contact their congressional representatives about key industry issues, safely engaging with policymakers.

“Advocating for our members and the entire dietary supplement industry continues to be a top priority for CRN regardless of whether or not we can meet with representatives on Capitol Hill,” said Julia Gustafson, vice president, government relations, CRN, in a press release. “The issues most important to the industry—including the need for CBD to be regulated as a dietary supplement—have not gone away since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of the Send-In speaks to the dedication of our members to addressing these challenges and enhancing the dietary supplement marketplace.”

CRN members have already sent 127 letters to 100 congressional representatives across 30 state delegations. One of the key issues CRN is asking its members to advocate for is the regulatory pathway for cannabidiol (CBD) as it has been one year since FDA’s hearing on Scientific Data and Information about Products Containing Cannabis or Cannabis-Derived Compounds and CRN's submission of a Citizen Petition calling on the agency to use its statutory discretion to permit CBD be sold in dietary supplements.

“We were able to come together and raise our collective virtual voices to advocate for real change during a time that requires us be apart,” said Gustafson. “Communication between industry stakeholders and government officials is more important now than ever. If FDA fails to act on CBD, consumer interest will continue to grow along with a thriving but plainly unlawful array of CBD products.”