Cannabidiol oil (CBD oil) is often used by people suffering from chronic pain. It may be helpful in alleviating the overall discomfort associated with many health conditions such as arthritis, inflammation, and pain. As a product made from cannabis, it’s a form of cannabinoid, a chemical that’s naturally found in hemp plants and marijuana. Nonetheless, it doesn’t cause the “high” feeling, which is associated with cannabis, as it’s caused by a different form of cannabinoid known as THC.
There are many different types of CBD oil products available, and the CBD content in them varies greatly. Since cannabis is used as a recreational drug, some controversy exists over the use of the products made from the plant. However, it’s important to note that CBD oil is mostly extracted from hemp plants rather than marijuana plants. While both plants are types of cannabis plants, the hemp plants are not bred to contain high THC levels.
Research on CBD oil has shown a great deal of promise when it comes to alleviating chronic pain. In fact, CBD can be a great alternative for people suffering from chronic pain to the more dangerous and quite addictive medications such as opioids.
The Legal Status of CBD Oil
Cannabidiol is a largely misunderstood dietary supplement. This is even more clear when trying to understand whether the use of CBD is legal or not. It’s hard to find any resources that lay all of it out for you. Although it doesn’t have all the answers, this article will try to expound on the current legal status of CBD oil the best way possible.
The first thing you need to know is that CBD come in two main forms: cannabidiol extracted from marijuana plants and cannabidiol extracted from industrially-grown hemp plants. As mentioned earlier, both plants are varieties of cannabis, and are grown for different purposes. Each of them has a different legal status. Secondly, you need to consider the state or country you live in when determining if CBD is legal in your locality.
Cannabidiol Extracted from Medical Marijuana
Medical marijuana plants are grown to contain high cannabidiol content and have varying amounts of the psychoactive THC compound. It’s generally sold to the various licensed dispensaries or prescribed by physicians for certain conditions such as arthritis or for pain management, in areas where marijuana is regulated.
Although medical marijuana is specially grown to contain high CBD content for the treatment of certain illnesses, the THC content generally varies dramatically, and can sometimes get as high as the CBD content. The main issue with medical marijuana-based CBD aside from the fact that you can get a strain high in THC content is that it’s currently not legal everywhere.
CBD products from medical marijuana are also not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, meaning that they are not regulated for dosage and purity like other medications. Plus, you need to be living in the states where medical marijuana has been legalized for you to obtain a prescription for medical marijuana for pain management from a doctor. This restriction alone has actually made people to move to states where medical marijuana is legal, just to get their hands-on CBD legally for them or their families.
CBD Extracted from Industrial Hemp
The CBD oil obtained from the industrial hemp plants is an entirely different story. The FDA actually considers CBD oil from the hemp plant and hemp oil a dietary supplement rather than a medication, since they are made from industrial hemp plants.
This means that if you’re living in the United States, you don’t need to have a prescription to legally buy and consume the CBD oil from any state. CBD from industrial hemp also has virtually no THC content, meaning that it’s not possible to get a “high” when using the product. The THC content is too little (if there) to produce any effect.
Is CBD Oil Legal in other Countries?
For those living in the U.S., the legal status is quite clear. CBD oil made from industrial hemp can be legally purchased and consumed from any state, without a prescription. However, to purchase CBD oil from medical marijuana, you need a prescription, and to be located in a state where medical marijuana is legalized.
Unfortunately, it’s quite confusing to tell the legal status of CBD oil outside the U.S. Nonetheless, CBD hemp oil is legal in most countries in the World. It’s actually hard to think of a country where CBD hemp oil is prohibited. That’s because the THC content is what makes cannabis illegal, not the CBD. This is good news especially if you’re taking CBD oil for pain management and need to travel.
In last year October, Cannabidiol entered the world of legal trade with the World Agency against Doping in Sport announcing their list for 2018. CBD was officially withdrawn from the list of drugs that are banned in sport. This means that this non-hepatic cannabis component with pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects can now be used in an athletes training menu.
It’s still recommended that you reach out to the customs department of your country to see if there are any prohibitions about CBD products. Enquire if you’re allowed to import dietary supplements from the States. If they do allow this, then you should be good to go.
What’s the Future Outlook of CBD Hemp Oil?
Although no one can answer this question with an absolute certainty, recent research has not shown CBD to produce any negative side effects. However, more studies are still underway, and unless they prove otherwise, the legal status of CBD oil is quite safe and should remain unchanged for a long time.
As such, it seems that you can continue to use CBD oil for pain management and other uses without having to worry about negative implications. Of course, this is true so long as the oil is obtained from the hemp plant, and it only contains trace amounts of THC. There may be issues with using a credit card for your purchase, but strides are being made with merchant processing for cbd products.