As anyone who works in the CBD or marijuana industry will tell you, the laws around cannabidiol can be quite confusing. That’s why it is perfectly understandable to have questions about CBD oil in Georgia. This article starts by explaining what CBD oil is. Keep reading to get started.
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CBD (cannabidiol) is one of the more than a hundred compounds in hemp and marijuana plants. CBD is more plentiful in hemp, while tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is found in higher quantities in marijuana plants. THC is the compound that gets recreational users high.
Why would you be interested in CBD if it cannot get you “high”? It turns out that most of the medicinal effects of marijuana can be attributed to its CBD content in combination with the other cannabinoids. A wide variety of conditions, such as epilepsy, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and Alzheimer’s may be alleviated by CBD.
That’s not all though.
Many scientific studies back up CBD oil’s amazing healing powers, while more studies are revealing additional uses of the cannabinoid.
Why It Is Hard to Find CBD Oil
As already mentioned, the rules governing cannabidiol (CBD) can be rather confusing. Hemp and the products derived from it became legal in 2018 when the Farm Bill was signed. However, some states haven’t updated their laws to reflect this federal level change.
This fact alone causes problems for honest citizens that are simply trying to find some relief.
To make matters worse, hemp and marijuana plants look similar, so CBD oil extracted from hemp still carries the stigma associated with marijuana (an illegal substance at the federal level). For this reason, it can be a nightmare trying to get hold of CBD oil in some places around the country.
History of CBD Oil Legalization in Georgia
In 2015, Governor Nathan Deal signed HB1. This law legalized marijuana-derived CBD oil for medical purposes. Patients with a qualifying condition could get a card valid for 2 years and use that card to access the few licensed places where CBD oil could be purchased.
What about THC?
There have been several attempts to legalize medical and recreational marijuana in the state of Georgia. None of these attempts have succeeded.
The legality of CBD oil in Georgia depends on which plant it was extracted from. CBD oil from marijuana plants can only be obtained from licensed dispensaries. You also must be listed on the state’s low-THC Oil registry to purchase it.
CBD oil from hemp, however, is legal for everyone. In fact, it has been legal nationwide ever since the federal government passed legislation in 2018, removing hemp from the Schedule 1 list of controlled substances.
Why You Can’t Grow CBD Oil
If it is hard to get hold of CBD oil in Georgia, why then can’t you simply grow the plants themselves and extract it yourself?
Three key reasons make that possibility out of reach. First, Georgia hasn’t yet passed legislation to regulate the hemp industry. This means that you wouldn’t be able to grow hemp legally if you wanted to.
Secondly, these legal issues make it hard for you to get the supplies and seeds you need, even if you wanted to risk it and try growing plants for CBD oil extraction. Finding seeds to grow will be challenging. If you don’t have seeds or clones, you won’t have CBD-rich plants growing in your garden!
Let’s say these aren’t a problem and assume that you have hemp or marijuana plants. The next step would be extracting the oil. Unfortunately, that may be the hardest part.
Is there really enough CBD for you to notice the therapeutic results you want or need? Figuring out how potent that oil really is can only be done with advanced equipment. You’ll need it to find out the concentration of CBD and other compounds (terpenes and flavonoids, for example), which combine to bring improvements in your health. Without this equipment, you might have useless oil that you’re just wasting your time on.
