There are many articles in the news recently about hemp and CBD oil. Hemp farms and hemp pharmacies are springing up around North Carolina. CBD oil, or cannabidiol, is being sold online and in specialty stores. There are even restaurants in Raleigh putting CBD oil in cookies and smoothies. But what is CBD oil? And what is it used for?
Both hemp and marijuana are part of the cannabis family and both contain Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. THC is one of at least 113 cannabinoids identified in cannabis. It is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis.[1] THC is the component that causes a person ingesting cannabis to “get high.” CBD is another of the cannabinoids found in cannabis. It comes from the oil glands found on the hemp plant called trichomes. [2]
Hemp refers to the durable fibers in the stalk of the plant. It can also refer to any industrial product that is not intended for use as a drug. Hemp was originally farmed for things like paper, fibers for clothes, and oil. Hemp contains less than .3 percent THC while marijuana contains between 20-24 percent THC.
The legality of hemp and CBD oil is confusing. Marijuana, or “marihuana” as it was spelled in the 1930s, was outlawed by the Federal Government in the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.[3] This Act defined both marijuana and hemp as controlled substances. There are some conspiracy theorists who believe that hemp was targeted by cotton and paper dealers competing with hemp for its share of the market.[4]
Because the federal government currently classifies anything that comes from the marijuana plant, including CBD, as a controlled substance, it is still illegal at the federal level. Manufactured hemp products such as food, clothing, and other consumer goods are legal to sell in the U.S., but the cultivation of the plant has been banned forcing manufacturers to import the raw materials from other countries.[5]
In the last decade, there has been a movement to “de-schedule” hemp and remove it from the Act’s definition of controlled substances. In 2018, Mitch McConnell, seeking to support Kentucky farmers, introduced the Hemp Farming Act of 2018. This Act is the latest attempt to remove hemp from the definition of controlled substances, making it legal to farm.
Whether because of the low levels of THC, the health benefits of CBD, or the profits available to farmers, many states are working under various pilot programs to try to legalize the growth of hemp. The Industrial Hemp Act, passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in late 2015, allows for the cultivation of hemp that contains less than 0.3 percent THC. In 2017, more than 100 farmers in North Carolina sought hemp licenses.[6] Hemp and CBD will likely be legal in the United States in the very near future. It is already available in North Carolina in several locations.
Now we’ve answered…
What is CBD?
But what can CBD do for you?
CBD has many medical uses including the treatment of epilepsy, neurological disorders, anxiety, sleep disorders, and arthritis pain. The FDA recently approved a drug, called Epidiolex, which contains CBD and is used to treat epilepsy. Side effects of CBD include changes in appetite, diarrhea, and tiredness.[7]
If you have questions about Hemp or CBD, talk to a local hemp store or pharmacy.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol
[2] https://www.wral.com/hemp-and-cbd-renaming-tobacco-road/18035318/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marihuana_Tax_Act_of_1937
[4] Hemp & The Marijuana Conspiracy: The Emperor Wears No Clothes
[5] https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomangell/2018/04/12/heres-mitch-mcconnells-new-hemp-legalization-bill/#36a1c30d5b5b
[6] https://www.wral.com/hemp-and-cbd-renaming-tobacco-road/18035318/
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabidiol
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