If you are new to medical cannabis, you might find the entire environment confusing. For example, you may not understand why CBD oil is discussed by so many medical cannabis proponents even though you must have a license to obtain one but not the other. Your confusion is understandable. Yet it does not have to be this way.
The entire cannabis landscape has become too confusing for too many people. It is largely due to three factors: conflict between federal and state law, differing laws at the state level, and marketing practices among retailers and distributors looking to get their share of the cannabis market.
The Differences Between CBD and THC
The confusion related to CBD oil and medical cannabis cards stems from the differences between CBD and THC. Both substances are cannabinoids found naturally in cannabis plants. There is an additional layer of confusion when you consider that both marijuana and hemp are cannabis plants.
When we talk about medical cannabis, we are talking about marijuana. We call it cannabis to take the edge off. But what is the difference between medical cannabis and hemp? THC volume. A hemp plant can have no more than 0.3% THC by volume. Plants with more THC are considered cannabis.
CBD is the primary cannabinoid found in hemp plants. Meanwhile, THC is the primary cannabinoid in medical cannabis. Both hemp and CBD are federally legal thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill. But under federal law, medical cannabis is still illegal. States with active medical cannabis programs have only decriminalized it.
The Medical Cannabis Card Question
Finally, we get to the question of medical cannabis cards. Anyone wishing to buy CBD oil can do so nationwide without the need for a card or license. CBD oil, as long as it contains no more than 0.3% THC, can be legally bought and sold without state or federal permission. The same is not true of medical cannabis or THC products.
Let us use Utah as an example. Utah is a medical-only state. Only patients with valid medical cannabis cards can purchase THC products at licensed state pharmacies, like Cedar City’s Zion Medicinal. But any adult in the state can freely purchase CBD oil without a card.
Here is where the confusion comes in: both CBD and THC are promoted as being beneficial to human health. Both are recommended to treat certain medical conditions ranging from insomnia to nausea to chronic pain.
Speaking Out Both Sides of Their Mouths
A good way to understand the confusion is to imagine a person who speaks out of both sides of his mouth. Imagine a medical cannabis proponent talking about training insomnia. It would not be unusual for him to recommend CBD. Plenty of people use CBD to help them sleep – and swear by it as well. But that same individual might also talk about medical cannabis as a sleep aid.
Why? Because it is not uncommon for PTSD patients to report sleeping better after treating their symptoms with medical cannabis. Medical cannabis allegedly relaxes them. It also reportedly reduces nightmares and flashbacks.
A PTSD patient in Utah could purchase a CBD oil to help insomnia without having to obtain a medical cannabis card. But if he wants to use medical cannabis or THC, he needs to get a card. Thus the confusion.
There is no need to be confused if you understand the difference between CBD and THC. The former is fully legal and doesn’t require any special permission. The latter is still federally illegal. It can only be obtained in states like Utah with a medical cannabis card.