Hemp and marijuana have gotten a bad rep throughout history. Many individuals used to say that this was a gateway drug that leads to the use of harsher drugs and doesn’t contain any medicinal properties at all. Well, luckily over time these myths have been proven false. Many medical professionals now regard hemp and marijuana as a miracle cure for certain illnesses. In fact, the substance is now legal in a variety of states and its benefits are only becoming more and more well known. Probably the most well-known and high regarded product produced from the hemp plant is the CBD oil extract. What is this extract and is it even legal in the state of Ohio?
What Exactly Is CBD?
CBD is sometimes referred to as cannabidiol and it is basically one of the sixty naturally occurring cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant. Both the marijuana and hemp forms of the plant contain these cannabinoids and they can be extracted from each part of the plant. THC was once the most well researched part of the cannabis plant, but that has actually changed due to recent discoveries of CBD. CBD is the non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in hemp and it contains most of the medicinal properties that are needed to treat a variety of illnesses. Most CBD oil products will be extracted from hemp rather than the actual bud part of the plant.
How Does CBD Work In The Body?
You are probably wondering what makes CBD oil so great and how it reacts in the body. Well, what you need to know is that CBD oils and products primarily interact with the body’s state of balance or the endocannabinoid system. This is basically a grouping of millions of cannabinoid receptors located throughout the entire body. However, these receptors are usually clustered in the brain and central nervous system where they issue commands to the body. It is important for you to understand that almost every organ in the body contains these cannabinoid receptors. Even the skin and digestive tract contain these receptors.
This probably all sounds a bit technical, but the main thing you need to know is that the endocannabinoid system basically has four primary functions. These functions are producing neurons, relieving stress, dealing with immune response, and regulating the body’s general state of balance. When CBD enters the body, it interacts with certain enzymes and basically increases the body’s naturally produced cannabinoids.
A Brief History Of Marijuana In Ohio
Living in Ohio provides all kinds of unique opportunities and one of those opportunities is access to medical marijuana. In fact, Ohio was the 25th state to legalize the substance, which took place on June 8th, 2016. It was Governor John Kasich who passed the bill to allow the state to treat specific conditions with medical marijuana. However, it should be noted that even though this bill was passed in 2016, as of 2018 the state still does not have a medical marijuana registry. This means that there are no doctors that can legally prescribe the substance in the area, but this is only supposed to be delayed until September of this year. So, what does this say for CBD oil and CBD products?
Is CBD Really Legal In Ohio?
There have been a number of states that have directly come out and said that they would not have anything to do with legal marijuana or hemp-based products. Fortunately, Ohio doesn’t seem to be one of these states. In fact, the state seemed to be pretty lax when it comes to purchasing CBD products in store or online. In fact, there are several well-known and highly reputable vendors that are selling CBD oils, gummies, and other CBD-infused products in the Cincinnati area. Does this mean that the substance is completely legal in the state?
No, it does not mean that the substance has been declared 100 percent legal. However, the fact that vendors are out there and citizens are utilizing the product is a good sign. There haven’t been any arrests or lawsuits made involving the substance, so it is pretty safe to say that the state regulations and laws are pretty lax when it comes to CBD oils and CBD products. Of course, this is only the hemp-produced CBD oil that contains less than 0.3 percent of THC.
Know that Cannabis Oil and CBD Oil Are Different
So, if things weren’t confusing enough, you just learned that there are two forms of CBD oil extracts. One extract comes from industrial hemp and the other comes from the cannabis plant. What is the difference and which is legal? While the two might sound similar, they are extremely different. The hemp produced CBD oil contains mostly CBD and just a small amount of THC. This is one of the factors that makes it legal and so medicinal. All the medical properties are contained within the CBD cannabinoids. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the cannabis-derived version doesn’t contain medicinal properties as well.
In fact, it does contain CBD cannabinoids. This basically means cannabis extract does have medicinal benefits, just not as many. It contains more THC, which is the portion of the plant that produces mind-altering effects. And, this is what makes cannabis-derived CBD product illegal in many states.
Will Cannabis-Derived CBD Oil be legal In Ohio?
As mentioned earlier, marijuana was legalized in Ohio almost two years ago. Well, it is safe to say that since marijuana was declared legal, it is possible that cannabis CBD oil will be declared legal in the near future as well. However, it will probably have to contain either .10 or .8 percent THC and it will be regulated by the same laws as medical marijuana. This means that you will have to get a prescription from a doctor who is registered with the state’s medical marijuana registry. As of right now, there is no active registry in the state, but this is supposed to change in September of this year.
Where Can You Purchase CBD Oil Products In Ohio?
As long as you are interested in the hemp derived-CBD oil that contains less than 0.3 percent THC, you can purchase it just about anywhere in the state. Many health food stores, big box chains, gas stations, and vitamin shops sell these products. You can also shop online from local Ohio-based vendors if you are out of state.