Columbus Naturals answers all of the area’s questions about CBD laws in Georgia
With federal and state marijuana laws changing so quickly and cultural attitudes about the topic shifting so drastically, it’s tough to know what is what when it comes to CBD and the like.
Columbus’ own, Columbus Naturals, understands the law so the Ledger-Enquirer sought them out to answer consumers’ questions about marijuana, cannabis, hemp, CBD or any of the other associated items.
What is CBD?
CBD stands for “cannabidiol,“ and it is a naturally occurring element in cannabis sativa plants. Cannabis encompasses both marijuana and hemp, but it’s hemp that is typically used to make CBD products.
There are dozens of cannabinoids found in cannabis, but CBD is the most prevalent as it accounts for the largest percentage of the plant’s extract. You can find CBD in the form of bath bombs, tinctures, gummies, capsules, carbonated water, health and wellness products and much more.
It’s all legal.
Columbus Naturals, a locally owned and operated business is not selling anything illegal, and all their products meet the standards of the law. Marijuana is, in fact, illegal here in Georgia - except for some specific medical exceptions - and you will not find that for sale in their store.
According to owners and former police officers, Chace Webb and Josh Duckworth, Columbus Naturals’ products, as well as many other Georgia dispensaries, are made from industrial hemp, they are tested in reputable third party labs to ensure that they stay within the federal standards and to make sure that they are as natural and safe as possible. They are also tested to make sure they do not contain any pesticide or heavy metals. We make sure that all of our products are grown and processed here in the United States.”
This store is among a handful of CBD dispensaries in Columbus that offer products with CBD, hemp and Delta 8. All CBD retailers must adhere to the State of Georgia’s laws governing pharmacies governing low-THC products.
How can this be legal if marijuana is not?
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp, which is characterized as having a concentration of less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which removes it from schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. It’s important to remember that hemp cannot get you high and is something totally different from marijuana.
“Cannabis is the overall term or ‘family name’ for these types of plants. Underneath the term Cannabis we have two different plants - hemp and marijuana. It is easy to think about them as cousins,” said Webb.
What is Delta 8? Is it legal?
Delta 8 is a form of THC. It is naturally occurring in both marijuana and hemp. All of the products sold under the label of Delta 8 products are derived from hemp and fall under the 2018 Farm Bill so they are federally legal, and at this time Delta 8 is legal in Georgia.
There are some things to bear in mind when consuming Delta 8, advise Webb and Duckworth, and they caution their clients to use it much like they would alcohol:
It can be intoxicating.
Don’t drive or operate machinery.
Don’t consume it if pregnant or nursing.
Delta 8 will show up on a drug test as THC.
[However, if you live elsewhere, you should definitely make sure what the law allows in your state.]
Contact Columbus Naturals at 706- 507-5622 or email them at info@columbusnaturals.com for a consultation.
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