Risk assessment of over-the-counter cannabinoid-based cosmetics: Legal and regulatory issues governing the safety of cannabinoid-based cosmetics in the UAE

• Main Authors: Jairoun, Ammar Abdulrahman, Al-Hemyari, Sabaa Saleh, Shahwan, Moyad, Ibrahim, Baharudin, Hassali, Mohamed Azmi, Zyoud, Sa'ed H.
• Format: Article
• Published: MDPI 2021
• Subjects: R Medicine; RA Public aspects of medicine; RS Pharmacy and materia medica
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/35008/

The lack of scientific evidence of the safety and efficacy of over-the-counter topical cannabinoid-based cosmetics remains a concern. The current study attempted to assess the quality of cannabinoid-based cosmetic products available on the UAE market. In particular, the study attempted to quantify the presence of undeclared tetrahydrocannabinol, specifically delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), in these products. Methods: A total of 18 cannabinoid-based cosmetics were collected and analysed in this study. GC-MS analysis was used to determine the presence of total undeclared tetrahydrocannabinol. Results: The estimate for the average tetrahydrocannabinol content was 0.011% with a 95% CI (0.004-0.019). Leave-on cosmetics products are more likely to contain total tetrahydrocannabinol compared to rinse-off cosmetics (p = 0.041). Although there was no statistically significant difference in the total tetrahydrocannabinol according to cosmetic category, there was a tendency towards higher tetrahydrocannabinol content in the hand care products, baby products, and body care preparations. Conclusion: The current study reveals the need for producers of cannabinoid-based cosmetic products to issue quality certificates for each batch produced to inform users of the tested levels of tetrahydrocannabinol.