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Hemp Hemp Hurray!

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A few years back a hoax was perpetrated by a clever wag who went about decrying the hazards of this chemical formulation called DHMO (Dihydrogen monoxide). The gaffer and those who mimicked him, punked news media, politicians, and a number of environmental activists with the ruse.  

The chemical formulation shorthand, of course, is H2O. Bottom line: The government thinks it’s a killer and should be regulated!

Observe the current FDA fervor to scientifically determine (and hence, regulate) the safe use of CBD (Cannabidiol). With the legalization of hemp. it was conceivable that CBD might get a pass.

FDA Regulations for Hemp & CBD

Observe the current FDA fervor to scientifically determine (and hence, regulate) the safe use of CBD (Cannabidiol). With the legalization of hemp. it was conceivable that CBD might get a pass. It’s a derivative of the hemp plant flower. Hemp, by definition, has only a trace of the “high-inducing” THC (by law .3% max).

CBD is widely available and products containing the oil are proliferating in stores and online. When the legalization Farm Bill was signed into law, the FDA immediately stepped forward and warned that  CBD was still considered a drug.  Hence, it would be examined and regulated as such.

So far, products containing CBD need to be labeled as “supplements” and “not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” It appears headed for years of testing, analysis, and reporting.

The rub is that there are unscrupulous sellers of the product. Tests have shown wide variances between what is claimed as containing CBD and what is actually present. The extraction process can involve chemicals and inert ingredients that are none too healthy. To manage this “wild west” phenomena some rules and regulations are needed. 

Hemp and CBD Oil Quality

The flip side is that there are many responsible producers and sellers who take pains to assure a quality CBD and do so transparently by testing batches for strength and contaminants. Overregulation and bureaucratic time-delays can stifle this burgeoning industry.

Hemp has been used for all kinds of ailments for centuries.  With the FDA’s intervention, we see the familiar wrangling between a traditional medicine coming up against the “scientific” method of proving its worth. There is a ray of optimism in that Epidiolex, a derivative of CBD, received approval for treating two forms of childhood epilepsy.

The DHMO hoax was a joke that highlighted the hair-trigger tendency to go overboard.

While the trajectory of the FDA may not completely fit the same narrative, allowances must be made for those willing to take personal responsibility. CBD studies on uses and benefits of CBD Oil as a treatment are many, and like to grow.

Observe the current FDA fervor to scientifically determine (and hence, regulate) the safe use of CBD (Cannabidiol). With the legalization of hemp. it was conceivable that CBD might get a pass.

 

Author: Coleman Alderson
G. Coleman Alderson is an entrepreneur, land manager, investor, gardener, and author of the novel, Mountain Whispers: Days Without Sun. Coleman holds an MS from Penn State where his thesis centered on horticulture, park planning, design, and maintenance. He’s a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and a licensed building contractor for 27 years. “But nothing surpasses my 40 years of lessons from the field and garden. And in the garden, as in life, it’s always interesting because those lessons never end!” Coleman Alderson