50°
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7 Day Forecast
Follow our weather team on social media

Hemp-derived CBD steps closer to legalization in Louisiana

4 years 10 months 3 weeks ago Wednesday, May 01 2019 May 1, 2019 May 01, 2019 5:49 PM May 01, 2019 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers are making steps to clear confusion in laws that have put sellers and buyers of wildly popular hemp-derived CBD products in a catch-22.

The oils are being sold in stores throughout Louisiana even though it's technically a Schedule I narcotic under state law. The products are legal under federal law and now state lawmakers are trying to catch up.

A bill to remove hemp from the state criminal code, and therefore hemp-derived CBD products, passed through a legislative committee Wednesday. House Bill 138 is being sponsored by Rep. Patrick Connick (R-Marrero).

"My wife got a [CBD product] sample from her hair dresser and I told her it's illegal she can't have it. This bill will change that," he said.

Outside of a high-profile and still unfolding arrest in Lafayette, Louisiana law enforcement has not cracked down on the hemp-derived CBD market as the products are non-intoxicating and have little known side effects. Hemp is a cousin to marijuana but with only trace amounts of THC, the chemical which gives people a high.

Authorities in Lafayette alleged sales at a CBD store there contained an unrevealed amount of THC, leading to a raid and arrest last week. 

Texas is also grappling with legalizing CBD products. There have been recent reports of passengers being arrested at the Dallas airport for possessing CBD.

More News

Desktop News

Click to open Continuous News in a sidebar that updates in real-time.
Radar
7 Days