Florida may soon be known as the CBD State! However, interestingly enough, many Florida residents still don’t know what CBD is. In this article, I hope to provide the reader with a plethora of information on cannabis which perhaps may leave you even more curious about the mystical plant: Cannabis L.Sativa. First and foremost I will provide you with the Merriam-Webster definition for CBD:
“a non-intoxicating cannabinoid found in cannabis and hemp. More than a dozen medical trials… show treatments containing CBD and THC not only ease pain in MS patients but also alleviate other problems associated with the disease,”
And if Merriam-Webster were not captured by the pharmaceutical industry then perhaps they would expand their definition to acknowledge the hundreds if not thousands of other medical studies which prove Cannabis L. Sativa effectiveness in treating a number of additional medical problems including but not limited to cancer, glaucoma, chronic pain, mental disorders and PTSD. These are medical issues on the far end of the spectrum and patients who use cannabis for relief are engaged in a philosophical battle against the U.S. government. Imagine if you were a cancer patient who uses cannabis but the federal government considers you as a criminal for doing so. Now imagine how many patients may die each year because they simply don’t have access to cannabis due to criminalization and unreasonable enforcement of old, ineffective laws. The FDA still classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 drug right alongside heroin and LSD!
The free-market principles of America are built for bringing the best product to your front door and not even politics can stand in the way of this movement: The nationwide decriminalization of marijuana. I’ll say it right here and now… if you’re okay with allowing adults (21 and older) to indulge in alcohol but not marijuana then you’re either uneducated or a hypocrite. That said even the most stubborn individuals are coming around to the idea of cannabis for medicinal use. It’s high-time that the enemies of cannabis fade away and allow the best researchers to put forth proper ideas which can then be formed into legislation.
We’re in the midst of a major transformation in the cannabis world and if you’re not paying attention you may miss it. The FDA has been officially researching cannabis since 2018 when the Hemp Production ACT and 2018 Farm Bill was overwhelmingly passed by members in the House and Senate. According to Amy Abernethy, Md, Ph.D. and Principal Deputy Commissioner from the FDA, the FDA’s approach to hemp and CBD is to treat it like any ordinary commercial product in the United States. More specifically she said this:
“We recognize the substantial potential that hemp has for our nation’s farmers and agriculture sector. FDA’s approach to cannabis and cannabis-derived products, including hemp products, is to treat these products just like we do any other. FDA is committed to advancing hemp products through the Agency’s existing regulatory pathways, and we are further exploring whether it would be appropriate to make additional regulatory pathways available to hemp products such as those containing cannabidiol (CBD).”
As a businessman, my main takeaway is the line “FDA is committed to advancing hemp products… to make additional regulatory pathways available to hemp products such as those containing CBD.” In my opinion, that’s a signal to the American public saying “Hey, if you want to explore financial opportunities tied to CBDs then now is the time.”
But there are greater opportunities besides wealth that cannot be ignored. Research out of Oregon suggests that CBD could even change the landscape for treating Coronavirus. Don’t take my word for it! You can go and read the Oregon State research article I’ve linked below. According to their lead researcher, Van Breeman, CBD products such as hemp lotions, moisturizers and CBD tinctures contain an acid that is proven to block Coronavirus from entering human cells. Here’s an excerpt from their research paper:
“Any part of the infection [coronavirus] and replication cycle is a potential target for antiviral intervention, and the connection of the spike protein’s receptor binding domain to the human cell surface receptor ACE2 is a critical step in that cycle,” he said. “That means cell entry inhibitors, like the acids from hemp, could be used to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and also to shorten infections by preventing virus particles from infecting human cells. They bind to the spike proteins so those proteins can’t bind to the ACE2 enzyme, which is abundant on the outer membrane of endothelial cells in the lungs and other organs.”
For some reason, our mainstream public figures and politicians aren’t interested in this data. Why wasn't this research study broadcasted across all news stations? I’ll bet my bottom dollar that officials in the current administration, as well as the previous, played a part in discrediting and de-legitimizing proponents of CBDs- especially those who offered data suggesting CBDs could be used to treat covid. It may very well turn-out that cannabis users are experiencing their own form of defense against covid on accident by using cannabis products. I would be interested to know whether or not cannabis is more effective than vaccines against covid but of course that data does not exist.
Just about the entire medical industry stands firm against the very plant that could literally reshape our country and benefit millions while harming no one. The beautiful thing about time and "the passage of time" as our vice president Harris once touted, is that history will shine bright on the warriors who fought for this magnificent plant and reward them with a clear conscious knowing that they did not cower in fear but instead pressed forward to make cannabis more available to those who need it most.
In conclusion, Florida is proving more flexible and liberal than other red states in regards to cannabis legalization and that’s great! On top of that, our state is experiencing an influx of Blue residents from more liberal states like California, New York and Oregon. It would be foolish to expect that our state laws and regulations will not also change as the political landscape continues to evolve. Couple that with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill and I expect that Florida will lead the red states in future cannabis research and production which will eventually lead to more profits for the industry. At the end of the day… all roads lead to a nationwide decriminalization of the miracle plant Cannabis L. Sativa.
Author: Joseph Remy, AF Retired and Owner of Happy Pharms LLC
This is the first journalistic piece I’ve ever written! If you’re interested in more articles like this, please reach out to me and let me know. Especially if you have questions regarding the business side of cannabis which will be my focus going forward.
Jan 13, 2023
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