Lansing, Mich.— Officials have been overhauling Michigan’s medicinal cannabis program. Cannabidiol (CBD) will now be covered under the state’s medicinal cannabis laws.
The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) recently announced its first update on CBD regulations. Now, CBD products will be sold to cannabis patients and must be extracted from cannabis instead of hemp.
“We received lots of questions about if CBD was going to be regulated along with marijuana and how hemp plays into that,” said department spokesman David Harns according to The Detroit News. “Now is the right time to send out an advisory bulletin.”
The intent, according to officials with LARA, is to clear up any confusion around CBD products. Officials want CBD to be regulated under medicinal cannabis rules to ensure patients are receiving safe products.
According to an advisory issued by LARA, “The possession, purchase, or sale of marihuana or any marihuana product – including CBD – must be done in compliance with the MMMA (Michigan Medical Marihuana Act) and MMFLA (Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act).”
LARA defines cannabis as:
• all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., growing or not
• the seeds of that plant
• the resin extracted from any part of the plant
• every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant or its seeds or resin
CBD is one of several dozen cannabinoids that interact with receptors in the brain. Unlike THC, CBD is not known to produce psychedelic effects, making it appealing to many patients as a medicine. CBD is often used for pain management or to alleviate seizures caused by epilepsy.
Arianna Welsh who co-owns a CBD oil producing company feels that her customers are in need of relief and can benefit from CBD use.
“It would definitely have an impact on a lot of people that are finding a safe way to get that relief,” said Welsch. said about the new notice. “Relief from pain, inflammation, anxiety and sleep issues are the most common reasons.”
Medicinal cannabis was approved in Michigan in 2008. However, it has had a bumpy road since its inception and is going through a legislative overhaul. Currently, state officials are processing hundreds of applications for permanent dispensary licenses. Shops are operating under temporary licenses at the moment.
There could soon be even more changes to Michigan cannabis laws. Residents will have the opportunity to vote on legalizing recreational cannabis use this November.
