May Quick Hits from Direct CBD Online Direct CBD Online is back with this month’s CBD news roundup! See just how far you can take CBD oil with you thanks to new TSA regulations, learn about the FDA’s latest hearing on CBD, and more!
Hemp-Derived CBD Oil Is Now Allowed On Flights
It’s official: The Transportation Security Administration updated its policies so hemp-derived CBD oil is permitted on flights.
While previous TSA policies made no distinctions between hemp-derived CBD oil and marijuana, the new changes permit hemp-derived CBD oil if it’s “produced within the regulations of the law” of the 2018 Farm Bill.
A TSA statement to NBC News said they made the change to reflect last June’s FDA approval of Epidiolex, a prescription drug used to treat certain rare forms of pediatric epilepsy.
“To avoid confusion as to whether families can travel with this drug, TSA immediately updated TSA.gov once we became aware of the issue,” wrote the agency.
The new policy changes apply to both checked and carry-on bags, but do not apply to CBD products containing more than 0.3% THC by dry weight, per federal law.
We’re Watching the FDA’s Hearing on CBD So You Don’t Have To
On May 31, 2019, The Food and Drug Administration held a public hearing to obtain scientific data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds.
Did you miss the 10 hours of testimony from than 100 stakeholders about CBD? Don’t worry! Leafly’s editors have your back!
FDA Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless kicked off the agency’s historic first-ever public hearing on CBD by noting that “we’ve seen an explosion of interest in products including CBD, [but] there is much we don’t know.”
There’s plenty we do know, however, and many of those facts were aired at the hearing, which Leafly’s editors covered live as it happened.
Unraveling cannabinoids: Harvard Medical School receives $4.5 million for cannabinoid research
Charles R. Broderick, an alumnus of Harvard University and MIT, has made a gift of $9 million (split between each institution) to support fundamental research into the effects of cannabis on the brain and behavior.
The largest donation to date supporting the independent research of the science of cannabinoids, Broderick’s gift will allow experts in the fields of neuroscience and biomedicine at Harvard Medical School and MIT to conduct research that may ultimately help explore the biology of cannabinoids and their effects on the human brain. The research will help inform future treatments and evidence-based guidelines, social policies, and regulations.
“Our desire is to fill the research void that currently exists in the science of cannabis,” said Broderick, an early investor in Canada’s medical marijuana market.
Google Bans Cannabis Apps from Play Store
In an effort to further prevent children from seeing “inappropriate content,” tech giant Google has enforced new rules on its Play store that will prohibit apps that allow users to order cannabis through “an in-app shopping cart feature,” assist “in arranging delivery or pick up” of cannabis products,” or facilitate the sale of THC-containing products.
The new rules also include bans on apps that facilitate tobacco sales – including e-cigarettes – and those that “encourage the irresponsible use of alcohol or tobacco.”
Despite regulations limiting cannabis sales to individuals 21-and-older, the changes reflect Google’s renewed initiative to provide “additional protections for children and families.”
In an email to Marijuana Moment, Elizabeth Ashford, senior director of corporate communications for Eaze, a cannabis delivery app, called Google’s decision “a disappointing development that only helps the illegal market thrive” but was “confident” that Google – and Apple – “will eventually do the right thing” and allow cannabis transaction apps to continue doing business on their platforms.
Introducing The 2019 Pride Collection
In celebration of the shared history of cannabis progress and the LGBTQ+ communities, Kush Queen has created a limited edition 2019 Pride Collection containing the Pride CBD bath bomb with 25mg CBD, Pride Ignite Water Based CBD Lubricant, and their 1000mg Bare CBD Tincture.
As a womxn-owned company, Kush Queen is dedicated to honoring the shared history of the LGBTQ+ communities and cannabis. As such, 20% of all pride collection sales will directly benefit Trans Lifeline; a national trans-led 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of trans lives by responding to critical needs with direct service, material support, advocacy, and education.