Indiana Doctor Calls CBD Illegality “Ridiculous And Irrational”

Dr. Richard Feldman is not here for your opposition to CBD in the red state of Indiana. As an Indianapolis physician and former Indiana state health commissioner, he has some words in response to Attorney General Curtis Hill, who is in favor of making CBD oil illegal to sell and posses.

According to Feldman, the current law makes it pretty much “impossible” for anyone, even those listed on the state CBD registry, to legally buy it.

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He wrote an op-ed piece for the Kokomo Tribune, in which he’s basically forced to mansplain how ridiculous the law is, and that just because CBD is derived from cannabis, it doesn’t get you stoned.

Sixteen non-medical marijuana states have limited legalization of CBD, mostly for epilepsy. The federal government considers CBD illegal through its Drug Enforcement Agency’s schedule 1 controlled substance status for cannabis. Schedule 1 substances are considered having high abuse potential with no evidence of medical benefits. This status impedes needed medical research. Nevertheless, CBD has no addictive or euphoric intoxicating effects, no significant side effects, and possible health benefits.

Besides epilepsy, Feldman lists a variety of medical issues that benefit from CBD, including acne, depression, a variety of anxiety disorders, and even schizophrenia.

Other studies report possible usefulness in treating chronic pain and inflammation, opioid and tobacco addictions, heart disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and stroke. It may have anti-cancer qualities including the suppression of cancer growth and spread.

In grand finale style, Feldman says “the illegality of CBD oil is ridiculous and irrational, solely stemming from the fact it is derived from cannabis” and that for now, CBD should be treated like a legal herbal supplement because many other herbal supplements have already set the precedent by having “minimal, questionable or no proven health effects.” And also, they’re regulated by the FDA only if safety issues arise.

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He ends by saying, “What’s all this fear and loathing about? If people think CBD helps them, let them use it legally.”