Last month, I introduced comprehensive legislation in Congress to once and for all end the destructive policy of federal marijuana prohibition in America and to remedy the widespread inequities and injustice this policy has brought upon tens of millions of Americans — becoming the first Judiciary Committee Chair in history to take this critical step.
Most American farmers are in full-fledged panic mode following news that companies in China have suspended use of U.S. agricultural products in response to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Chinese goods. But the nascent U.S. hemp industry shouldn’t worry, economists and trade experts told Hemp Industry Daily. A $5.9 billion market, China is […]
California has lagged behind other states in passing hemp policy. That could change in the next month. A pair of long-debated hemp and CBD proposals are awaiting California lawmakers when they return from their summer recess on Monday. At stake is the future of the hemp industry in the nation’s largest agricultural state. The state […]
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH CBD?
IT’S COMPLETELY LEGAL EVERYWHERE, RIGHT?
CBD, a naturally-occuring substance found in every variety of the cannabis plant, is touted for a bewildering array of potential therapeutic applications including inflammation, pain, anxiety, and depression. (Another substance found in cannabis you’ve probably heard of is THC — its psychoactive properties provide the “high” associated with marijuana and the U.S. Department of Justice still touts it as a felony.)
But what was a trickle of products containing CBD derived from marijuana burst through the Walgreens floodgates last November when CBD derived from hemp became legal following passage of the federal Farm Bill. Reversing 82 years of prohibition, Congress decreed that cannabis containing less than .3% THC would heretofore be known as hemp — and any products derived from it became legal to possess, own and transport in and among all 50 states.
So why is there still so much confusion about the legal status of hemp-derived CBD products?
For one thing, the federal Farm Bill didn’t magically do away with state laws outlawing hemp. That’s why grandmas with CBD oil at Disneyworld and truckers hauling hemp through Idaho still are being arrested. The U.S. Postal Service says it’s OK to mail CBD, and the TSA confirms you can fly with it, but if you’re not on federal property you could be violating state law. Even in states where hemp-derived CBD has become legal, if you are arrested and your CBD product exceeds the allowable state THC limit, you could be charged with state and federal crimes.
How can you protect yourself? By far the number one reason why hemp-derived CBD oils cause legal trouble is mislabeled product.
Research the products you see advertised or are recommended to you, and purchase only quality, reputable brands that undergo third-party-testing. Look for recent lab reports available via QR code or on the product’s website, and labels that provide clear information on dosing/serving size. Be extra-vigilant if you buy CBD from a dispensary or in a legal state — there is a much greater chance the product is marijuana-derived, and therefore a much greater chance it exceeds .3% THC.
Until every state aligns its laws with federal hemp legalization (or cannabis is descheduled), the best way to avoid being caught in this legal conundrum is to have a high degree of confidence that the label on your product accurately reflects its contents.
#CBD #hemp #hempderivedCBD #CBDproducts
New York, NY – Below is a statement from Sheila Vakharia, PhD, Policy Manager and Researcher with the Drug Policy Alliance, in response to a new CDC report showing that, in 2018, while naloxone dispensing by pharmacies did increase slightly from 2017, still only one naloxone prescription was dispensed for every 69 high-dose opioid prescriptions. “It is […]
Though Wyoming farmers can’t yet grow hemp, the state says its lab to test the crop for THC is almost ready. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and the state Department of Agriculture sent an update this week to would-be hemp farmers reminding them that production remains illegal until federal agriculture authorities set national rules, then approve Wyoming’s […]
Members of NAACP Denver and Minorities for Medical Marijuana join forces to address the lack of diversity and need for social equity within the marijuana industry.
A Nebraska farm equipment manufacturer and dealer who was denied a license to grow hemp in 2019 is suing the state Department of Agriculture and its director. Jacob Bish, head of public relations at Giltner-based Bish Enterprises and Hemp Harvest Works, was one of 176 applicants seeking to grow hemp this year, the first of […]
Meet my newest cannabud, Tamara Lyn Netzel.
Officially diagnosed with MS in 2013, Tamara worked with Virginia NORML to achieve a significant expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program to roll out next year. Listen to her national “coming out” on NBC’s Dateline — the evolution from law-abiding, D.A.R.E.-enforcing military spouse to cannabanoid crusader is an awe-inspiring story.
What’s even more remarkable about Tamara is the non-profit she formed — Cruel Consequences: Portraits of Misguided Law — to chronicle the cruelty surrounding criminal enforcement of misguided cannabis prohibition.
Building on organizations like Cage Free Cannabis and The Last Prisoner Project that tackle unjust incarceration, Cruel Consequences is showcasing the unfairnesses associated with criminalizing cannabis. These are stories of ancillary effects like loss of public housing, healthcare, insurance, licensure, employment, custody, and well you get the idea…
Listen to Tamara on a recent episode of the #CannabisHealsMe podcast, explaining how therapeutic success with cannabis led her to advocate for full legalization, and to push for measures that seek to heal the unfairness — I think you will understand why I am so excited to have connected with Tamara and her great project!
#cannabis #CBD #CruelConsequences #cannabisishealsme #cannabiscommunity #cannabisismedicine #cagefreecannabis #offtherecord #expungement #marijuana #legalizemarijuana #rightsrestoration #healtheunfairness #endprohibition #medicalcannabis #legalizeit #descheduleit
Democratic Gov. John Carney has signed legislation amending criminal penalties for juveniles who violate the state’s marijuana possession laws.
