A recent Trademark Trial and Appeal Board decision confirmed that, for now and the foreseeable future, companies selling CBD-infused products intended for consumption, including CBD derived from hemp, will not be able to obtain a federal trademark registration covering such use.

The Lanham Act, the federal statute that regulates federal registration of trademarks, requires use of a trademark in commerce to qualify for federal registration. Accordingly, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will refuse registration of a trademark that is not in lawful use in commerce. Currently, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has interpreted the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act (FDCA) to prohibit the use of CBD in products intended for consumption. As a result, federal trademark registration for various goods that contain CBD, including dietary supplements, foods, and beverages, will be refused registration by the USPTO as unlawful under the FDCA.