Let’s start out this article by pointing to the 800-pound elephant in the room. No discussion about CBD, or marijuana-derived medicinal compounds would really be complete or, let’s be honest, helpful if we don’t discuss legality. 

In the United States, marijuana is still classified as a schedule I drug. That’s not an empty number. That’s not just a designation, it carries a tremendous amount of legal and medical weight. All drugs or chemical compounds classified as schedule I drugs are completely illegal. 

In the eyes of the law, there is absolutely no redeeming value for that drug. The drug-enforcement agency, as well as several arms of federal law enforcement, prosecute people who produce and distribute compounds classified as a schedule I. 

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you would also know that marijuana has been going through a legislative revolution throughout the United States. Starting with Colorado and the state of Washington,

more and more state jurisdictions are legalizing marijuana not just for medicinal purposes (that movement has been around since the mid-1990s and several dozen states already have medical marijuana or compassionate-use laws on the books for purely recreational purposes). In other words, as long as you’re 18, or over a certain legal age in a particular state jurisdiction, you can consume marijuana for recreational purposes. 

There’s a growing perception in the USA that eventually pot will be one hundred percent level on both the state and federal levels. The most common argument for its legalization is the law and order argument as well as resource efficiency arguments. No wonder, more and more states are relaxing local enforcement. 

The only limitation is the amount. It’s not like you could ride around with a van with tons of this green, sticky and stinky stuff, expecting the police or sheriff to stay out of your hair. That’s just not going to happen. That’s not how these laws are set up. 

 

The federal problem 

Since federal laws still bans marijuana, and a lot of states are getting on the legal weed bandwagon. This creates a gray area for marijuana-derived compounds like CBD. CBD is a life-changing compound to a lot of people. 

Epileptics who had to struggle with severe seizures, regardless of how many FDA-approved medications they’ve taken, now have another option. People who are struggling with insomnia, or mood swings, or mood personality disorders can now have a more natural alternative treatment for their condition. 

The list of CBD’s potential beneficiaries can go on and on, but until and unless the federal law changes, we really can’t know for sure whether CBD truly works for certain conditions and the full extent of human illnesses and physical, mental, and emotional disorders CBD can treat. A lot of the current research regarding marijuana-derived compounds have to go through a lot of hoops. 

While the federal government, to its credit, has relaxed a lot of previously stringent restrictions, researchers, looking into CBD or other marijuana compounds, still have to deal with tons of bureaucratic red tape. Sourcing materials for research can take a while. There are many clearances to get. It’s not like research institutions can just go to a medical marijuana dispensary to source their research materials.

This is the state of CBD. It’s very easy to get excited about CBD. Whether you are using it to treat a certain condition you have or you are using it for health boosting or disease prevention purposes, it is a natural way to deal with active or potential health issues. Sadly, it has its fair share of baggage. So it’s still in the gray area, and if you make the wrong move in the wrong jurisdiction, who knows where you’d end up.