“Hemp is a made up word,... For it to be controlled, it has to fall within the definition of marijuana, not just test positive for THC. When it comes to CBD, these products are coming from the plant, which is controlled, which is illegal.” - DEA spokesperson Rusty Payne.
There has been a great deal of confusion surrounding the CBD market in recent months as many people are under the impression that CBD is legal throughout the country, yet many lawmakers and law enforcers have insisted the opposite and continue to crackdown on CBD sellers and issue warnings about buying the products and more.
Whether CBD products are legal or not seemingly depends upon who you ask at this point.
There is still much confusion as to whether or not CBD is legal currently and where it's legal. For hemp producers who have been growing hemp in states with pilot projects that were formalized under the Farm Bill that was passed a few years ago, they insist that the CBD products they make with what they grow is legal. However, the DEA still argues just the opposite, despite at one point suggesting that CBD shouldn't be under federal control.
“These products are kind of in a gray area. Many are sourced from states that do have hemp retail programs … These products may not be tested and may contain THC as well.”- Courtney Coppola, interim director of the Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use
But while many might think that it's perfectly “legal” to buy and sell whatever CBD products they want, experts in the field have warned that it's simply not being enforced at the moment and it's being tolerated while still prohibited in the eyes of many federal agencies such as the FDA, DEA, DOJ, and others. It's obviously been causing a tremendous amount of problems, the confusion as to whether or not CBD is legal.
FDA Plans April Meeting To Discuss CBD...
Because of the confusion, with state officials possibly wrongfully telling CBD producers and sellers to cease activity, it's been pushing a growing number of people to pressure the FDA and others for further regulation on the matter so that they can understand what is going on. Unfortunately, it's bureaucracy which has gotten us into this mess and here we are looking at the same ingredient to try and solve the problem. Regardless, officials have indicated they are working toward establishing a more understandable "regulatory framework" for CBD products and the CBD industry. Further clarification might be coming soon.
Pics:
pic 1 -Reuters via MW
pic 2- civilized
