After passing legislation in the New York State Assembly, the Empire State will become the 23rd state, including Washington, D.C., to allow medical cannabis after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signs the bill, which he is expected to do. Some states, however, are choosing to only take on the heart-wrenching issue of treating epileptic children with cannabidiol while ignoring the other benefits of the plant.
Some legislators want to prohibit THC, which is a part of the medicine that they consider undesirable. The problem is that THC shares many similar healing properties with CBD and even has some health advantages that CBD does not have. Most cannabis advocates favor a “whole plant solution.”
Ten states already have CBD-only laws: Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin. The laws allow for the use of cannabis oil that contains mostly cannabidiol, or CBD, and only a minor trace of THC, the compound that causes the “high” feeling when cannabis is smoked or ingested.
There are other states with CBD-only laws in various stages of the legislative process. On June 20, North Carolina’s General Assembly passed the “North Carolina Compassionate Use Registration Act.” The bill still has to pass the Senate and be signed by the governor to become law.
P. Aiden Hunt 