Dear editor:
While Georgia has come a long way forward on its stance for marijuana and hemp products, it has left much confusion to retailers and consumers alike.
Georgia allows medical marijuana and the laws surrounding that are pretty clear. However, hemp products, also called CBD, are not so clear. Georgia
states it follows the federal guidelines for CBD products. Georgia House Bill 213 also allows for the licensed cultivation and processing of hemp as well as allowing for the sale of hemp and hemp products. That sounds like they are going to be straight forward. Then it goes further to state that according to the provisions of the FDA’s Federal Code of Regulations (CFR’s),inclusion of CBD or hemp into a food, animal feed or dietary supplement renders that product adulterated. And that food or feed products that would be deemed “adulterated,” according to the FD&C Act will not be legal in Georgia. So, to put that in lawman’s terms, CBD added to any food product such as gummies, cookies, drinks and even dog biscuits for animals, is not legal in Georgia. In Newnan, many store owners and employees were arrested for selling CBD edible products and the case is still ongoing if I understand correctly. Our local Walgreens sells it, many convenience stores sell it, some local specialty shops sell it. Macon, Milledgeville and Warner Robins are full of places that advertise and sell it. Our laws are frustrating and unclear if you consider everyone sells what the Georgia and Federal codes say are illegal. CBD does not get you high. It gets many people off of opioid pain pills, helps them rest, and alleviates storm stress for many animals. Its legal to smoke CBD, to ingest CBD drops and to put into creams and salves, just illegal to add it to food products as read above. Is local law enforcement deciding the law doesn’t apply? Do they disagree? Are they ignoring it? Has the county made it legal in Jones County? (Yes, a county can enforce their own law) Is there a risk of someone who purchased it being charged with it being illegal if they were pulled over and have it in their car? I know gummies as well as smokable, or vape-able CBD helps to alleviate arthritis pain, or back pain and even anxiety attacks, although the FDA does not allow that to be stated on any label or advertisement for the product. Perhaps sometime soon we can get to the truth of the matter, is selling, buying or having CBD food products legal or not?
Michelle Ford
