Alabama Medical Marijuana & CBD Oil – Is it Legal?
For interested CBD oil Alabama users, it’s important to know how cannabidiol is regulated differently from state to state. Even in states where CBD is legal, the particularities surrounding the laws can get confusing especially when you’re considering cannabidiol products that are sold online as is the case with Medix CBD. Understanding the legalities of CBD oil in Alabama requires a basic understanding of two things: What CBD is and how it differs from marijuana.
What is CBD?
What’s the buzz
CBD, shorthand for cannabidiol, is a phytocannabinoid that was discovered in cannabis in 1940. Phytocannabinoids refers to any cannabinoid that is naturally occurring within the cannabis family of plants. Though there are some 133 different kinds of cannabinoids, the most commonly known ones are CBD and THC.
In the most recent years, cannabis advocates have praised CBD for the promise it has in combating seizures, anxiety, and many other ailments like pain or depression. According to the Washington Post, CBD is “the new ‘it’ drug.” Quartz called it a “rapidly rising star for its capacity to deliver mental and physical benefits.”
Hemp vs. Marijuana
What’s the difference?
It is impossible to talk about how marijuana differs from hemp without discussing how CBD differs from THC. All four things are vastly different from one another but are continuously often used synonymously. The confusion over marijuana versus hemp, or CBD versus THC stems from the fact that all of these things come from one family of plant: cannabis.
CBD differs from THC in one major way. CBD is non-psychoactive and is concentrated in high levels in hemp; whereas, THC is psychoactive and is concentrated in high levels in marijuana. Though marijuana is used only recreationally and medicinally, hemp can be used medicinally and industrially. Hemp has been used to make paper, ropes and canvas for ships, fibers for clothes and can be used in cooking and making art.
Marijuana and hemp differ not only in uses but in appearance and growth. Marijuana is flat, short, and bushy. Hemp, on the other hand, has leaves that are skinner and taller. Marijuana needs very specific conditions to grow, picture enclosed greenhouses and artificial fluorescent lighting. Hemp is less particular and grows easily in a wide array of climates. All it needs is good soil, sun, and water.
CBD oil Alabama users need to pay attention to the difference between marijuana and hemp because CBD can be derived from either. CBD derived from hemp is extracted from the hemp plant’s seeds. CBD derived from marijuana is extracted from the marijuana plant’s flowers.
Is CBD oil legal in Alabama?
Now that you know the important difference between hemp and marijuana, it’s natural to wonder is CBD oil legal in Alabama? Only recently, in late 2018, did Alabama’s Attorney General Steve Marshall release a public notice legalizing CBD oil in Alabama. Per the statement “CBD derived from industrial hemp, with a THC concentration of not more than 0.3%, can be legally produced, sold, and possessed in the State of Alabama.”
When people ask is CBD oil legal in Alabama and learn that yes it is, this answer comes as a surprise. The state of Alabama is historically and still in modern-day predominantly conservative. With CBD products often being incorrectly labeled as a “liberal-hippie drug,” it’s legality in the cotton state seems out of place; however, it is not as much as an anomaly as one may think. Potential CBD oil Alabama users can find comfort in the fact that thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp production and distribution is legal and by default CBD hemp oil is legal as well.
Is Marijuana Legal in Alabama?
The legalization of marijuana both for medicinal and recreation use is gaining traction. Already thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have broadly legalized marijuana in some form or another. 10 states — Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia – have legalized marijuana for recreational use.
Despite growing support, to the question of “is marijuana legal in Alabama?” the answer is no. Neither medical marijuana nor recreational marijuana is legal in the state. According to Advance Local, Alabama politicians and candidates simply “do not consider marijuana legislation to be a priority.”
Recently, the Southern Poverty Law Center released a statement that claimed Alabama’s war on marijuana cost the state 22 million a year. Meanwhile, eight months into 2018 Colorado, which legalized both recreational and medicinal, marijuana pocked $1 billion in sales revenue.
When it comes to medical marijuana, Alabama is very strict. Anyone found with any product containing more than 0.3% THC can be considered to be in possession of marijuana and will face penalties. With the stigma of marijuana slowly wearing off, and with marijuana showing how lucrative of an industry it is, the path for Alabama marijuana legalization cannot be too far off. Until then, CBD products are legal alternatives that can be purchased in stores like Medix CBD.
Hemp for Pain Relief
Researchers believe CBD interacts with receptors in the brain and immune system. Receptors are tiny proteins attached to your cells that receive chemical signals from different stimuli and help your cells respond. By interacting with the receptors, CBD may create anti-inflammatory and pain-killing effects.
CBD isn’t a passing fad and should be taken seriously. The drug is showing great potential to be a cleaner and safer way to regulate pain with minimal side-effects and minimal chance of addiction. CBD is a good alternative to common painkillers like opioids.
Hemp for Anxiety
According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, anxiety disorders are one of the most prominent mental illness in the United States. In today’s modern age with 9-5 jobs, rush-hour, student loans and more, there is always something that seems ready to overwhelm and crush us. That anxiety currently effects around 40 million Americans comes as no surprise.
Anxiety affects the central nervous system and long-term anxiety and panic attacks can cause the brain to release stress hormones on a regular basis. Long-term stress causes an increase chance for illnesses like high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. The most prevalent anxiety disorders are:
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
A chronic and long-lasting disorder which causes a person to have uncontrollable and recurring thoughts and behaviors that they feel forced to repeat over and over
Panic Disorder
A form of anxiety disorder which causes someone to feel sudden feelings of terror completely unprovoked
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
A disorder marked by a persistent feeling of worry and fear that interferes with daily life
Social Phobia
A form of disorder which creates an intense fear of being judged or negatively evaluated and rejected in social situations
Depression
A disorder characterized by a persistently downcast mood and an apathetic feeling towards activities in life
Medical Marijuana in Alabama: Next Steps
As mentioned before lawmakers attitudes toward Alabama marijuana use is very strict. The furthest Alabama has allowed for cannabis is CBD. Still, despite its conservatism in regards to the plant Alabama has followed the current trend of decriminalizing marijuana within the states. The offense of first-time possession of personal amounts of marijuana is a misdemeanor crime, but repeated possession or possession with intent to sell is a felony.
There have been two failed attempts at creating a medical marijuana Alabama program. The first attempt was introduced by Representative Koven Brown. The legislation was known as “The Alabama Medical Marijuana Patients Rights Act,” which would “authorize the medical use of marijuana only for certain qualifying patients who have been diagnosed by a physician as having a serious medical condition.” The bill died in committee. Three years later, it was reintroduced with minor changes in the State Senate as SB326 and sponsored by State Senator Bobby Singleton. It failed to reach the Senate floor.
Though Alabama has slowly come around to decriminalizing marijuana, consequences are still steep. A first-time offense can have a $6,000 fine. It seems doubtful that the state will integrate a medical marijuana program anytime soon. In the meantime, there are a wide variety of CBD products Alabama residents can pick from.
CBD Hemp Oil Tinctures
CBD hemp oil tinctures are a good and easy way to consume. The most popular way to take CBD is the sublingual method. Sublingual is just a medically approved fancy way to say taken below the tongue. By taking CBD below the tongue the product is absorbed easily into the bloodstream through the many tiny blood vessels contain below the tongue.
Medix CBD offers a wide range of easy-to-use CBD tinctures that come in different sizes and potency. Each bottle comes with a 1 ml dropper that allows the consumer CBD dosage. The largest size is a 4500 mg or 120 ml bottle and the smallest size is 100 mg or 15 ml. Tinctures are also good for pet owners who want to give CBD to their pets.
CBD Edibles
CBD edibles are good for people who want to consume their CBD in flavorful bites. Though CBD tinctures have a neutral, natural flavor to them CBD edibles offered by Medix CBD range from sour to sweet. There are a variety of different citrus flavors including strawberry, orange, blueberry, lime, and lemon.
Since CBD edibles are small and easy-to-chew, they can easily be taken as a daily vitamin alongside things like fish oil. It is recommended that users take 2-3 daily but this is by no means a hard and fast recommendation. Since edibles must be metabolized by the liver before the CBD can be absorbed, edibles are one of the least volatile ways to consume CBD. The effects of the drug and slow and steady rather than immediately.
CBD Hemp Oil Creams
Chronic pain is classified as pain that lasts more than 12 weeks. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, roughly 25.3 million adults experience chronic pain in the states. CBD hemp oil creams good for people who do not what to take CBD orally. CBD creams can be applied directly to target specific inflamed and pain areas in the body.
Medix CBD provides two forms of hemp topicals: cream and lotions. The creams are good for people that want to something to take in their bag and on-the-go. The lotion is scent-free and rubs on smoothy and easily.
Where to buy CBD oil in Alabama
After learning CBD oil is legal in Alabama, the follow-up thought is where to buy CBD oil in Alabama. The options of where to buy CBD oil in Alabama is limited. If you want to buy CBD in the state, due to something known as Carly’s Law. The law always for cannabidiol use only under specific circumstances.
Currently, many Alabama residents have been approved to receive CBD products from the state but whether they will be able they actual will receive anything is dubious. Until Alabama eases up on its harsh attitudes toward cannabis, it is easier and more cost-effective to buy CBD online at stores like Medix CBD. Just make sure the CBD product contains the federal limit of 0.3% of THC so that is classified as hemp. Federally, hemp is legal.
