It’s in our company name and brand name, but what is CBD? CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a chemical compound from the Cannabid sativa plant, which is also known as marijuana or hemp, according to the US National Library of Medicine.
CBD is a naturally occurring substance that's used in products like oils and edibles to impart a feeling of relaxation and calm. Unlike its cousin, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the major active ingredient in marijuana, CBD is not psychoactive. It is the second-most-abundant cannabinoid in the plant after THC.
CBD is commonly for seizure disorder (epilepsy). It is also used for anxiety, inflammation, pain, a muscle disorder called dystonia, Parkinson disease, Crohn disease, and many other conditions, but further research is required to support these uses. CBD affects the body’s serotonin system, which controls our moods. It also affects several other signaling pathways, but we really don't understand its mechanisms of action yet.
Is it legal?
On a federal level, CBD is legal. But it’s complicated.
Hemp strains don't produce enough of the cannabinoid THC to cause intoxication, but all types of cannabis, including hemp, were considered illegal under the 1970 Federal Controlled Substances Act. The legislation swept all cannabis under the Schedule 1 umbrella, which defined cannabis as a substance with a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use, and a likelihood for addiction.
In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) eased requirements for FDA-approved clinical trials on CBD. Before that point, researchers had to request, in writing, a modification to their DEA research registration, which could delay the research.
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp cultivation and created a clear pathway to remove some cannabis from Schedule 1 status by creating a legal distinction between hemp and marijuana. Under the new legislation, hemp is classified as cannabis that contains less than 0.3% THC by weight, while marijuana is classified as cannabis that contains more than 0.3% THC.
As a result, hemp-derived CBD was descheduled by the bill, but because marijuana is categorized as a Schedule 1 substance, CBD that is derived from the marijuana plant is still considered federally illegal. While hemp is now considered an agricultural commodity under the 2018 Farm Bill, it still must be produced and sold under regulations that implement the bill. The USDA has yet to create these regulations.
In 2019, the DEA announced they were announcing steps to improve access to cannabis research and that certain types of cannabis no longer required DEA registration to grow or manufacture.
Dr. Dabb's Everyday CBD
While the trend around the country is toward the legalization of all forms of cannabis and cannabis byproducts like CBD, the CBD policy and laws vary state to state. Here at Dr. Dabb’s Everyday CBD, our CBD is laboratory-tested and derived from broad-spectrum CBD hemp extract, the type of CBD that is legal in most states.