Republican Indiana state Senator Jim Tomes has filed a bill to legalize CBD oil in the state after Indiana Attorney General Curtis T. Hill Jr., released an opinion declaring the extracts unlawful and Gov. Eric Holcomb told retailers in November that they had 60 days to remove the products from their shelves, according to a WFIE report.
“My goal is to make this substance that helps so many people as easy to buy as baby aspirin or sweet tea. Individuals cannot abuse CBD oil, yet countless people who need it are unable to obtain it because of unnecessary restrictions.” – Sen. Tomes to WFIE
The decision by Holcomb and the opinion by Hill comes less than six months after state Excise Police – the state Alcohol and Tobacco Commission law enforcement arm – began seizing CBD products from retailers in the state. Last August, the agency said they would no longer confiscate CBD products with THC limits less than 0.3 percent; however, the practice continued at least into October.
Tomes told the Associated Press that he wants the bill “to just cut to the chase” and get rid of “the unknown.”
“These are families that have the horror and the anguish of dealing with medical conditions and, if that’s not bad enough, now we’re in a turmoil of what’s going to be legal and what’s not.” – Tomes to the AP
The legislation would ultimately remove CBD from the state’s controlled substance list.