Two weeks ago, the Ohio Pharmacy Board drew a line in the sand for all CBD retailers and customers in the State of Ohio. According to the Ohio Pharmacy Board, “Marijuana products, including CBD (Cannabidiol) oil, can only be dispensed in a licensed Medical Marijuana Control Program dispensary. Those marijuana products will have to comply with the rules and regulations of the program. All products must have a known source, as well as known quantities of active ingredients. Testing procedures will be conducted by testing laboratories licensed by the Ohio Department of Commerce.” Essentially, the State of Ohio has placed all CBD, including that which comes from industrial hemp, under the same control as medical marijuana. Anyone in the state of Ohio that wishes to consume CBD must obtain a medical card and go to a dispensary (which isn’t even available yet) to obtain it. Any businesses selling CBD will be subject to administrative or criminal action.
This might be an excellent time to point out that while the Pharmacy Board was busy putting one large umbrella over non-psychoactive CBD derived from industrial hemp AND marijuana, they STILL have not seen to completion the medical marijuana program here in Ohio. Two years later, patients who are suffering from debilitating pain and crippling auto-immune and neurological disorders are still waiting for relief. Many were able to find some relief from readily available and federally LEGAL CBD in the interim. Until now. There is also another set of suffering people that do not meet the criteria for medical marijuana even if it were available. Even when the dispensaries are up and running, they will continue to suffer because they cannot avail themselves of the remaining option open to them, CBD. They will be left to rely on big pharma to provide them with opiates and benzodiazepines and will be adding addiction to their list of medical issues. Greed, over-reach and bureaucracy is the custom in our particular land and the people that live here are left to suffer.
It is sad to see the ancient, remarkable hemp plant become a pawn in a game where the rules are so stacked against it. The uses for hemp are innumerable yet it is still shrouded with misinformation and suspicion. Premium Hemp Co. began because we saw people that were suffering, and we found a way to help them just as we did when we opened Premium Vapors. We took on Big Tobacco and the FDA. Now we are fighting even bigger bullies. We’ve been fighting to keep helping people since we opened and we’re still here to fight. The State of Ohio drew a line in the sand and they’re counting on the fact that you won’t cross it. They are counting on the convolution of state and federal regulations surrounding marijuana and hemp to so confuse people that they won’t even know where the line is. If you would like help Premium Hemp Co. and all the other CBD retailers in the state hold the line, here are a few ways you can help:
- On Wednesday, September 19, from 11am to 6pm, there will be a gathering at the State House in Columbus. The event is titled “Patient Gathering-A Protest”.
- Call or write your local legislators and let them know that the current Ohio law is unacceptable. Tell them your story. Let them know that there IS a difference between industrial hemp and marijuana.
- Visit the US Hemp Rountable website: HTTPS://HEMPSUPPORTER.COM/. There is a wealth of information on the site about hemp and hemp advocacy and what you can do to help.