CBD offers a broad variety of benefits, but how old do you have to be to buy CBD in the US?
One of the most interesting cases regarding CBD was that of Charlotte Figi. Charlotte was a young girl who was born with Dravet syndrome and suffered around 300 grand mal seizures weekly. After countless doctors visits, Charlotte’s parents were at a loss. Despite their herculean efforts, they had not yet been able to find any way of reducing her seizures.
Though they knew it’d be an uphill battle in regards to public and legal perspective, Charlotte’s parents decided to try treating her with CBD. The results were astounding, and the speculation rampant. The 300 grand mal seizures per week were reduced to 2-3 per month and she experienced the first seizure-free days of her young life.
Charlotte was a minor and moreover, she was only 6 years old. In 2012, hemp production and the use of CBD was still very much illegal, but Charlotte’s parents were at a loss and went with their best judgement.
The miraculous results Charlotte experienced sparked mass intrigue in hemp extracts and proved their benefit to the world. Many people attribute CBDs current legality to the story of Charlotte Figi, but what’s Ironic is that by today’s laws Charlotte would still not be able to consume CBD legally.
Why is something that’s so obviously beneficial restricted by age? Let’s take a look..
What is CBD?
To fully understand the way perception has influenced the legality of CBD, we must first understand what CBD is.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a powerful cannabinoid that is extracted from industrial hemp plants. Hemp, like Marijuana, is a species of cannabis. These plants contain similar sets of compounds, but in very different concentrations.
Is CBD Intoxicating?
Marijuana has a very high concentration of a compound called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This compound is highly psychoactive and is notorious for making users feel “high”.
The industrial hemp used to make CBD must legally contain 0.3% THC or less. This minuscule amount of THC is not enough to elicit any sort of psychoactive reaction. Instead, CBD products allow users to access the benefits of cannabis without any worry of becoming intoxicated.
There are CBD products made with higher amounts of THC, but they can only be sold in states like California where Marijuana is legal for recreational use. CBD is non-intoxicating, and that’s one of the reasons there is so much debate about appropriate age restrictions.
A Brief History of Hemp
Humans have been using hemp for around 10,000 years. Archeologists have discovered hemp cloth from Ancient mesopotamia and primitive hemp farming techniques documented by the Qin and Huh dynasties.
Hemp was used predominantly for textile purposes at first, but it wasn’t long before people started making medicinal bandages and oils out of hemp.
For the past 10,000 years hemp has been a part of the human experience, but in the early 1900s capitalism decided to impose.
Hemp Prohibition
In 1937, the United States was blossoming into an industrial giant. Hemp fibers are incredibly strong and offer a sustainable alternative to many less environmentally friendly textiles.
Unfortunately, hemp was seen as a major competitor for steel and other textile industries and so politicians came up with clever taxes that made it impossible for farmers to afford the cost of growing hemp. Ironically, just a few years earlier, all Americans who owned a homestead were required by law to grow hemp. Many of our founding fathers, including George Washington grew hemp.
The 2018 Farm Bill
After nearly a century of prohibition hemp was finally legalized in 2018 under the U.S Farm Bill. This bill made it legal to manufacture hemp that contains less than 0.3% THC. It also permits the sale and use of hemp extracts as long as they too contain less than 0.3% THC and have been thoroughly tested at ISO certified third-party labs.
Though the 2018 Farm Bill made CBD legal and accessible to millions, it did so with strict stipulations. Not everyone is legally allowed to utilize hemp extracts.
Do You Have to Be 18 to Buy CBD?
In the U.S, each state is allowed to pass their own sets of laws. Federal and state laws differ on occasion. Some states, like California, have legalized both hemp and marijuana for recreational use. Other states, like Mississippi, still have very strict laws regarding what type of hemp extracts are allowed.
No matter what state you live in, one law is universal; you must be 18 to purchase CBD anywhere in the U.S.
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