How Does the Legalization of Hemp Help the CBD Industry?

1. How Does the Legalization of Hemp Help the CBD Industry? These days, you can find CBD products just about anywhere. They are sold online, in health food markets, and at vape shops. Products containing CBD run the gambit from capsules and tinctures to vaping e-liquids and makeup. You can find CBD shampoo, conditioner, and lotions. It’s added to bath bombs, health shakes, and everything between. But the legal status of CBD is not what people think. What is CBD? Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring chemical present in marijuana, hemp, and a few other closely related plants. This genus of plant is the only known to produce CBD, which they do to varying degrees. Marijuana, for example, can contain as much THC as it does CBD, while hemp contains significantly less (if any) THC. THC (or Tetrahydrochloride) is the second major naturally-occurring chemical found in these plants, and it is responsible for the high feeling associated with smoking pot. CBD does not make people high, but it does interact with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) in mammals. Interaction with the ECS is what many products say give CBD the numerous health claims it has recently been labeled with. Are CBD Products Legal Right Now? Here is where the law gets murky. Although law enforcement officials haven’t been actively enforcing a “war against CBD,” products containing this chemical aren’t actually legal yet – not really. See, CBD has only recently been “de-scheduled” from a schedule one status. A schedule one drug is one which is “highly addictive and hazardous to human health.” This scheduling was in place for decades, and put CBD (along with marijuana, hemp, and related) in the same category as methamphetamines and heroine. While de-scheduling a “drug” is a big step, it doesn’t mean the substance is legal. However, the recent legalization of hemp has helped to make some CBD products legal –but it’s a very gray area. Hemp Legalization & What it Means for the CBD Industry A bill was passed in congress that legalized hemp, and this is great news. Hemp products are healthier for humans than some products currently being used, and it’s better for the environment because hemp is significantly more sustainable than, say, trees for paper. But what does hemp legalization mean for the CBD industry? It means that some CBD products are now technically legal. But figuring out which ones are and which still technically are not is a very gray area. CBD products that are now legal must meet the following qualifications: 1.Be manufactured using hemp which is grown using current regulations and rules, in accordance to the FDA 2.Not make false claims that it cures any ailment without providing scientific proof in the form of labs and clinic studies

2. The FDA does not currently regulate CBD products, so it can be difficult to tell which ones meet these qualifications. But, if a CBD company’s products are (A) made in the United States, (B) hemp-derived versus marijuana-derived, and (C) have been passed through some type of testing, it is probably a fair guess that those products fall under the legal category – although it is never certain until full legalization of CBD has passed through congress.