House Speaker Paul Ryan believes there may be enough Congressional support to pass a law that would legalize CBD oil for the treatment of childhood seizure disorders, according to a Channel3000 report.
Ryan first endorsed legislation to legalize CBD oils in 2015 when he signed on as co-sponsor for Rep. Scott Perry’s (R-PA) bill, which seeks to remove hemp and CBD-rich cannabis products (with less than 0.3 percent THC) from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. The bill has stalled in recent months, but Ryan said he thinks they will ultimately get the support needed to send on the proposal.
“It’s going to take a while to get through the legislative process just like any other bill in Congress,” Ryan said. “This oil does not have THC in it, so therefore it really shouldn’t be lumped into the category of anything close to legalization of marijuana and that’s the confusion that typically surrounds the issue.”
“Once you get people through the confusion that surrounds this issue, I think people agree this is a good thing and there’s no reason to oppose this,” Ryan said.
While it’s heartening to see enthusiasm for cannabis reform on the federal level — particularly among members of the GOP — it is worth noting that CBD-specific legislation is not the most ideal of legalization laws. In fact, treatments with CBD-only products have proven to be significantly less effective than whole-plant therapy, though elected officials either don’t care or remain unconvinced of this fact.
Get daily cannabis business news updates. Subscribe
End