What's Up With CBD-Only Medical Marijuana Laws?

[Jacob Redmond]

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of more than 60 molecular compounds, or cannabinoids, found in cannabis. CBD and THC are the two cannabinoids typically found in the highest concentrations in marijuana, and they're the two most recognized and studied cannabinoids.

CBD is non-psychoactive, unlike THC. That means CBD doesn't get people high, which "gives the chemical a significant advantage as a medicine, since health professionals prefer treatments with minimal side effects," according to Leafly.

CBD has been found to help in the treatment of numerous conditions including epilepsy, psychosis disorders, inflammatory disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, anxiety and depression. CBD has also been shown to combat tumors and cancer cells.

In a 2013 CNN special, Dr. Sanjay Gupta documented the story of Charlotte Figi, a young girl suffering from debilitating seizures due to a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. Gupta showed how CBD treatment dramatically improved Figi's condition and successfully reduced her seizures when no other medicines would.

Following the special, medical and legislative communities in the United States started treating CBD treatment as real medicine.

Earlier this summer the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse director, Nora Volkow, penned an op-ed in The Huffington Post and described CBD as "a safe drug with no addictive side effects."

CBD-only laws have drawn criticism from some who say the laws are all about politics, not about medical access.

While 24 states and the District of Columbia have passed some form of medical marijuana laws, 16 additional states have passed CBD-only laws. These states allow for CBD treatment, but no other compounds or forms of medical marijuana treatment.

Critics argue that separating CBD from THC in this way implies CBD is safe and THC is dangerous.

"The lobbying for these new CBD-Only laws relies heavily on pointing out that CBD is a 'medicine that doesn't get you high,' which casts THC at best as a medicine with an undesirable side effect and at worst as not a medicine but a drug of abuse," Russ Belville writes on The Weed Blog.

Belville calls CBD-only laws "political cover," which allow politicians to appear sympathetic to suffering patients, while still pushing a "hard on drugs" agenda to ensure continued political support from law enforcement and prison lobbies.

"The authors of these CBD-Only bills aren't writing them for optimal medical efficacy, however, they're writing them for political cover," Beliville writes.

Critics also point out that separating CBD from THC, and casting THC as an undesirable component of marijuana, ignores a lot of research that shows THC to be a medically beneficial cannabinoid.

Research shows THC is responsible for marijuana's ability to provide pain relief, PTSD relief, appetite stimulation, nausea relief and more. Studies also show that the whole plant appears to be needed for cancer treatment.

News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: What's Up With CBD-Only Medical Marijuana Laws?
Author: Emily Gray
Contact: Contact Page
Photo Credit: The Associated Press/Brennan Linsley
Website: Extract Suntimes

 

[420 Warrior]

Yup, Georgia passed this horse shit "CBD only" law as well and even with that they are making the CBD oil almost impossible to get for the suffering people who need it. Also, they are ONLY letting people with a very short list of ailments even have CBD oil in the first place...It's disgusting!

Yea, I don't know if it's ignorance, stubbornness, religion, fear, embarrassment or a culmination of all these things put together that keep people in these states from standing up against these laws but whatever it is, people just won't make their voices heard like y'all do out west and up north, it's like they just want to sit back and wait to see if someone else will speak out for them or something? IDK? I so wish I knew how to light a fire under these people and get them to see that if we want real change WE HAVE ALL GOT TO FIGHT TOGETHER, AND LOUDLY TOO!!! It's the ONLY way!

Guys, I physically get out and speak to people all the time about Cannabis legalization and these horrible laws, and everyone I talk to want's them changed but for what ever reason, they all seem to just want to keep it on the down low and not be heard, literally, they are just constantly looking over their shoulders to see if anyone is listening to our conversation, like they are worried that some militant cop is eavesdropping in on us and just jumping at the chance to haul us off to jail for just talking about Cannabis openly and I always tell them that it's their constitutional right to talk about it any time the feel like it and there's nothing they can do about it but they still just want to whisper and look around all scared, so I just shake my head and tell them that I can't do it by myself and if they wan't things to change, first they are going to have to get over that fear and come hear and learn and pass it on like I did to them, but none of them ever do...That's why these bastards are doing what ever they want with these laws, they have no opposition...And it pisses me off something terrible!

 

[Radogast]

That eavesdropping cop could get a warrant to raid their house, kill their dog and walk away if they find nothing.

If they find something, that team of cops can seize weapons, money and even asset forfeitures of their cars and house.

That action is not legal by standard constitutional protections, but the last few decades have seen a lot of unconstitutional laws be thought 'justified' because otherwise the war on drugs is unwinnable. Of course it is still unwinnable, but asset forfeitures make the pointless drug war profitable for thecops, and thus send citizens along the road where their drug convictions are profitable to lawyers, keep the courts busy and ultimately provide an income stream to prisons.

When I was a child, I felt protected by courts and laws while vulnerable toviolent and corrupt cops. The whole legal and incarceration system is now a danger to even the most law abiding citizens.

 

[Atulip]

Yup, Georgia passed this horse shit "CBD only" law as well and even with that they are making the CBD oil almost impossible to get for the suffering people who need it. Also, they are ONLY letting people with a very short list of ailments even have CBD oil in the first place...It's disgusting!

Yea, I don't know if it's ignorance, stubbornness, religion, fear, embarrassment or a culmination of all these things put together that keep people in these states from standing up against these laws but whatever it is, people just won't make their voices heard like y'all do out west and up north, it's like they just want to sit back and wait to see if someone else will speak out for them or something? IDK? I so wish I knew how to light a fire under these people and get them to see that if we want real change WE HAVE ALL GOT TO FIGHT TOGETHER, AND LOUDLY TOO!!! It's the ONLY way!

Guys, I physically get out and speak to people all the time about Cannabis legalization and these horrible laws, and everyone I talk to want's them changed but for what ever reason, they all seem to just want to keep it on the down low and not be heard, literally, they are just constantly looking over their shoulders to see if anyone is listening to our conversation, like they are worried that some militant cop is eavesdropping in on us and just jumping at the chance to haul us off to jail for just talking about Cannabis openly and I always tell them that it's their constitutional right to talk about it any time the feel like it and there's nothing they can do about it but they still just want to whisper and look around all scared, so I just shake my head and tell them that I can't do it by myself and if they wan't things to change, first they are going to have to get over that fear and come hear and learn and pass it on like I did to them, but none of them ever do...That's why these bastards are doing what ever they want with these laws, they have no opposition...And it pisses me off something terrible!

The georgia medical marijuana is a fine example of legallizing for show only. It allows the possession of Low THC oils for a small number of conditions. Sounds like progress on paper, in reality there's no way to obtain CBD oil without breaking the law. The politicians get to name it after some sick kid, talk about getting people the medicine they need, and don't actually have to legalize anything.

Ga SR6 has been introduced for recreational. It would need a 2/3 majority vote in the Senate, then it could be added to the 2016 ballot. SR 6 2015-2016 Regular Session

Ga SB 7 opens up cultivation for medical marijuana. SB 7 2015-2016 Regular Session

 

[Radogast]

The georgia medical marijuana is a fine example of legallizing for show only. It allows the possession of Low THC oils for a small number of conditions. Sounds like progress on paper, in reality there's no way to obtain CBD oil without breaking the law. The politicians get to name it after some sick kid, talk about getting people the medicine they need, and don't actually have to legalize anything.

Ga SR6 has been introduced for recreational. It would need a 2/3 majority vote in the Senate, then it could be added to the 2016 ballot. SR-6-2015-2016 Regular Session

Ga SB 7 opens up cultivation for medical marijuana. SB-7-2015-2016 Regular Session

I like the political sea change that caused the Georgia legislature to do this law, even if it mostly 'just for show.'

10 years ago, it would have been political suicide to introduce any bill promoting any form of marijuana.

 

[Heather De Ath]

The problem lies in removing medical cannabis from the same conversation as recreational cannabis. The two are not the same... not even remotely.

 

[boodybull]

The problem lies in removing medical cannabis from the same conversation as recreational cannabis. The two are not the same... not even remotely.

I grow 3 strains, white widow, exodus cheese and big bang. I call bullshit on your claim that medical cannabis is not the same as recreational cannabis. The best recreational cannabis is medicinal, always has been too. Big Bang is sold in Dutch pharmacies as a medicine, no recreational user has ever complained about its recreational potency either, its why it is sold as seeds around the world to anyone buying. White widow? most famous of all strains is both medicinal and recreational, exodus cheese is also no different as be classed as both medicinal and recreational. To discount THC as the most effective medicinal cannabinoid is the height of arrogance and ideology not science Mr Prohibition of the true medicine THC.

 

[420 Warrior]

Ok, so I went into one of my local vape shops yesterday and my jaw dropped when I saw that they are selling what their claiming to be CBD oil in there, right over the counter too. Did I miss something here? Could this be the same CBD oil that is supposedly derived from Cannabis or is this just some kind of knock off crap their passing off as CBD oil? Has anyone here had any experience with this over the counter CBD oil, and does it work?

 

[Jacob Redmond]

Ok, so I went into one of my local vape shops yesterday and my jaw dropped when I saw that they are selling what their claiming to be CBD oil in there, right over the counter too. Did I miss something here? Could this be the same CBD oil that is supposedly derived from Cannabis or is this just some kind of knock off crap their passing off as CBD oil? Has anyone here had any experience with this over the counter CBD oil, and does it work?

There have been some obscure cases of people claiming OTC CBD oil working. I would assume it is all worthless, contaminated junk derived from low-quality hemp in China.

This is a long read but both interesting and informative:

Hemp Oil Hustlers — Special Report On Medical Marijuana Inc., HempMeds & Kannaway

 

[420 Warrior]

The problem lies in removing medical cannabis from the same conversation as recreational cannabis. The two are not the same... not even remotely.

No offence, but personally I still don't see a difference in medical and recreational Cannabis use, but just for the sake of argument and Just out of curiosity, do you have animosity against "recreational" Cannabis users or something? Just wondering because I'm not sure why you always seem to want MMJ users and recreational users to be divided and separated?

For me and the vast majority of the members here, the "moral" issue is that in a supposedly free country, an adult should have a choice to choose for him or herself whether or not to use Cannabis for any reason they choose, medical or recreational (if we're going to say there is a difference) but that's just my stance and the stance of most all of the members here from what I can tell.

I just feel in my heart that we all need to keep fighting against Cannabis prohibition together because prohibition is the real moral issue here, not medical or recreational use.

I guess a few other question's would be, do you think that "recreational" Cannabis users should be imprisoned and their lives destroyed because of their personal choice to use Cannabis for whatever reason? Would you rather not have "recreational" Cannabis users fighting in this war to end prohibition against our beloved Cannabis plant? Do you think that Cannabis should only be reserved for "medicinal" use and nothing more? I'm also curious to know how you define between what's considered to be "medical" and "recreational" Cannabis use?

I'm not busting balls here, I'm just trying to understand why someone would come to a site like this, that was founded on the very idea of ending Cannabis prohibition in it's entirety for any and all reasons and seeming to only want it ended for medical use and medical use alone?

I hate to break it to you but there would be no "MMJ users" if there were no "recreational" users (if there is such a thing?) out there fighting in this war along side of them, because if what your calling "MMJ users" were alone in this fight, they quite simply wouldn't have had the numbers to get laws change in 23 states by themselves in the first place and their suffering would just keep going on and on. Simply put, we all need each other my friend, division is not the answer. Too many innocent lives are at stake here and I really hope you can see that?

 

[420 Warrior]

There have been some obscure cases of people claiming OTC CBD oil working. I would assume it is all worthless, contaminated junk derived from low-quality hemp in China.

This is a long read but both interesting and informative:

Hemp Oil Hustlers — Special Report On Medical Marijuana Inc., HempMeds & Kannaway

Your the man brother Jacob, my friend