Stores throughout Ohio continue to sell cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, months after the state’s board of pharmacy ruled that the cannabis extract can only be sold in medical marijuana dispensaries.
CBD has something of a cult following, and its users believe it can treat a variety of conditions.
The pharmacy board cited the Ohio Revised Code in its August decision, which defines marijuana as any product derived from cannabis.
But CBD distributors say they believe the pharmacy board overstepped its boundaries, and that selling CBD is legal.
Lucky’s Market in Clintonville and several Fresh Thyme locations throughout the state still have special sections for CBD oils. And the Columbus Botanical Depot, a boutique shop in Clintonville, sells CBD products almost exclusively.
Josh Hendrix, president of hemp production for San Diego-based CBD distributor CV Sciences, said the company’s products are protected under federal law because they come from hemp. The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp, which is derived from cannabis and lacks the intoxicating effects of marijuana, from a list of controlled substances and defined it as a commodity, opening the door for states to legalize it. Ohio has yet to do so.
“There is no list of controlled substance that includes CBD,” Hendrix said. “It’s a naturally occurring compound within a legal plant.”
Hendrix said that his company has educated lawmakers and law enforcement officials on CBD in other states, and has helped change laws in states like Indiana.
An effort is afoot to legalize CBD in Ohio.
Senate Bill 57, which was recently passed by the Ohio Senate, would legalize hemp and give retailers the right to sell CBD.
Enforcement of the current law is left to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which responds to complaints, director Dorothy Pelanda said.
In January, the department embargoed a CBD oil sold by Jungle Jim’s International Market at their Fairfield and Cincinnati locations after the owner of a different store asked the state if he could legally offer the product, Pelanda said. Agency employees banned the oil because they were unable to determine its origin, she said. The grocery store removed the oil from its shelves.
Representatives of Jungle Jim’s did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Pelanda said she wasn’t aware of any other complaints regarding CBD.
Grove City police told Midwest Vapors, a Stringtown Road vape shop, to remove CBD products from its shelves in April. Grove City police Lt. Doug Olmstead said officers spotted the CBD during a routine check.
Retailers say they continue to sell the products because it helps their customers. The benefits of CBD, however, are disputed.
Employees of the Columbus Botanical Depot tell customers that CBD will treat everything from anxiety, to trouble sleeping, to ADHD.
“We’re not doctors and we can’t make a diagnosis, but we can speak to our experiences and the experience of our customers,” General Manager Max Kamer said.
CV Sciences, which distributes the CBD products found on store shelves in Ohio, sells their product as a dietary supplement rather than a drug, which means they can’t make any claims about its health benefits. But Hendrix said that customers use CBD to treat a variety of conditions.
Researchers say claims about the medicinal qualities of CBD are at best premature.
The FDA has approved the CBD-based drug Epidiolex to treat seizures in rare forms of childhood epilepsy, and limited studies suggest other benefits.
“But we really still do not know where CBD can be helpful outside of seizures,” said Anup Patel, section chief of neurology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. His research aided the approval of Epidiolex. “There is not well-done scientific literature showing the benefits of CBD for conditions other than epilepsy,” he said.
Patel hopes that the approval of Epidiolex will open the doors for further study.
In the meantime, “I would ask the public to proceed cautiously, and not accept every claim without rigorous scientific evidence backing it up,” Patel said.
The perceived benefits of CBD could be a placebo effect, said Dr. Robert Carson, an assistant professor of neurology and pediatrics at Vanderbilt, who holds both a medical degree and a PhD. It isn’t a bad thing if someone uses CBD oils and it makes them feel better, he said.
“But in virtually every situation,” it’s best to take the proven medication, Carson said.
Dr. Daniel Neides, president and CEO of the Northeast Ohio health clinic Inspire Wellness, is a rare doctor who recommends CBD, saying his patients report symptoms of chronic pain and anxiety improving with its use. Neides acknowledged that their experiences are largely anecdotal, but said his plethora of anecdotes must indicate some beneficial qualities.
