In last week’s roundup, we noted that the World Health Organization’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence had not yet presented their recommendations for the international scheduling of cannabis. The committee had been scheduled to release the report in December 2018.
This week, the wait is finally over. The committee shared its recommendations with member states.
It has proposed a simplified structure for regulating cannabis under international law, which will more accurately reflect the growing consensus that cannabis does have valid medical applications.
This includes changing the way that THC is scheduled, removing it from the list of the most restricted substances. And in a move that could be huge for CBD advocates, the committee recommended that CBD products containing less than 0.2 percent THC clearly be excluded from international control.
If the UN adopts these suggestions, member states could regulate CBD as they see fit without violating international treaties.
So, what happens next?
The UN’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs will vote on the recommendations. The earliest this could happen would be March of this year, but the delay in releasing the recommendations may mean that a vote doesn’t happen until next year.
Labs testing recreational cannabis in California have been detecting unsafe amounts of lead in vape fluid. The likely culprit? Vaporizer cartridges.
Leafly reports that Chinese manufacturers may add lead to other metals to make them more moldable. This means that, in some vape cartridges, small amounts of lead may come into contact with the vape oil. Because that oil is acidic, it may be able to leach out some of the lead from the cartridge into the liquid.
So, why is this just coming up now? And why just in California?
California has the strictest standards in the nation when it comes to heavy metals in cannabis. Combine that with the state’s stringent cannabis testing requirements, and a previously hidden problem comes to light.
According to Leafly’s report, the cartridges that are failing to meet the lead requirements in California are still within legal levels in Washington and other states with legal cannabis.
More from CBD Hacker This Week
CBD for PTSD: Promoting Fear Extinction?
New research has indicated that cannabis-based treatments like CBD may be able to play a role in treating PTSD.
Does CBD Oil Show up on a Drug Test?
It’s important to understand how CBD interacts with the body and to be aware of potential risks.
A trucker was arrested in Idaho last week for felony drug trafficking. But he says that the 7,000 pounds of cannabis seized from his truck were a shipment of legal industrial hemp.
Next week in Illinois, the state’s department of agriculture will hold a public hearing on potential regulations for industrial hemp.
If the proposed rules are accepted, Illinois will begin accepting applications for the state’s new hemp farming program.
Kentucky is planning to aggressively increase its hemp production in 2019, expanding from 16,000 acres in 2018 to 42,000 acres this year.
On Tuesday, the state announced that it had approved a total of 1,035 applications from hemp growers. In 2018, the state approved 210 growers.
Exclusive CBD Deals
We’ve partnered with some of our most trusted brands to offer our readers these exclusive deals.
Plus CBD Oil
We recommend: Their Extra Strength Hemp Balm and CBD Oil Drops are two of our faves.
cbdMD
Pure Hemp Botanicals
And for a limited time, order $25 or more of Pure Hemp Botanicals products and receive a FREE LIP BALM!
We recommend: Their Pet CBD Oil was at the top of our list of the best CBD oils for pets this year. And we’re big fans of their tinctures for humans, too!
Lazarus Naturals
And their Cedar Citrus CBD Balm just landed at the very top of our ranking of the best CBD topicals!
4 Corners Cannabis
We think you’ll love their CBD oil drops.
Green Roads
We loved the smooth texture and light scent of their Muscle and Joint Relief Cream.
