CBD Oil (Cannabidiol) and Lupus

Is CBD oil legal to buy? The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first-ever, marijuana-derived pharmaceutical drug on June 25, 2018. Epidiolex, derived from CBD, was approved for the treatment of two pediatric seizure disorders. Following the announcement by the FDA, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency released their own statement which classified Epidiolex in schedule V of the Controlled Substance Act. Per the law, drugs are classified into 5 different categories (schedules) “depending upon the drug’s acceptable medical use and the drugs’ abuse or dependency potential.” Schedule I contains drugs considered to have no medical benefit (e.g., heroin, LSD, methaqualone, marijuana). In contrast, schedule V contains drugs with very low potential for abuse (e.g., cough syrups with low amounts of codeine, antidiarrheals). Then, on December 20, 2018, The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill 2018) was signed into law. A provision in the bill legalized “hemp, a species of cannabis that CBD can be extracted from but that isn’t psychoactive.” The passage of the legislation resulted in a statement from Scott Gottlieb, M.D., the commissioner of the FDA. Gottlieb noted that the FDA still considers CBD a drug and, as such, it is illegal to put into foods/health products without approval from the FDA. What does this all mean? While there are pathways for approval now, most products currently on the shelves are not compliant with the regulations. A CBD oil product is de-scheduled so long as it was produced using legal hemp and does not make improper health claims. As pilot programs from the 2014 Farm Bill make it to market, and states adopt the changes of the 2018 Farm Bill, there will be an increase in these products. Looking for more information? NORML provides information on the status of marijuana (both recreational and medical), hemp, and medical CBD for every state.

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