God blast it if the world didn’t flip a switch while you were napping. It feels like an episode of “The Twilight Zone” everywhere you go these days. Case in point: The Department of Energy just started calling natural gas “freedom gas” in its press releases (it calls carbon dioxide “molecules of US freedom”), and the Transportation Security Administration said it’s alright to fly with CBD products. Cue: “Yakety Sax.”Last week, NBC News reported that the TSA had “quietly changed its cannabis policy” to allow passengers to bring CBD products on flights “as long as it is produced within the regulations defined by the law.” Since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp, then the previous TSA rule—which didn’t allow cannabis-derived products of any sort in checked or carry-on bags—was contradicting federal law.CBD products containing more than 0.3 percent THC are still banned, and the TSA said it would refer individual cases where a substance’s legal status is questionable to local law enforcement. A spokesperson said the agency would not be conducting substance tests. In a statement to NBC News, the TSA said it made the changes once it was clear that the rules conflicted with families’ ability to travel while possessing the US Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmaceutical Epidiolex, which contains CBD oil. The drug was approved last summer.This is pretty big news, as the legal status of CBD products—hemp-derived or not—has been weird as all get out. Even after the Farm Bill was approved, the FDA was quick to point out that CBD-infused consumables were still banned, since the aforementioned drug Epidiolex’s active ingredient is CBD. It said until further testing was done and over-the-counter regulations were discussed, the CBD industry would have to stick to topical ointments.Last week the FDA held a hearing to talk about the future of the drug and figure out how to get regulations in place. In April, the agency sent threatening letters out to companies making health claims about CBD products. In a press release, it said it tested some of these products and found they had differing levels of CBD than what the packages claimed. Three companies received the warning letters: Advanced Spine and Pain LLC (owns the Relievus brand), Nutra Pure LLC (owns the CBD Pure brand) and PotNetwork Holdings Inc. (owns the Diamond CBD brand).According to the FDA: “It is important to note that these products are not approved by the FDA for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease. Consumers should beware purchasing and using any such products.”Social Smoking In Colo.Meanwhile, in Colorado—where the legal debate over cannabis is a decade ahead of ours—the governor just signed a law allowing businesses to apply for the public consumption of marijuana.Buying cannabis in Colorado is easy, but finding a place to legally consume it is tough. Most (I’m assuming all) hotels ban its use, and smoking or vaping in public is illegal. But The Denver Post reports that starting in 2020, marijuana customers in Colorado will be allowed to consume cannabis in “tasting rooms” and, thanks to another law signed by the governor, will also be able to have it delivered to their homes. Cities can still opt out of the laws if they choose to do so.What must they think of us? We tried to implement state-run recreational pot shops. I’m so embarrassed. Strain CornerThis week I stopped by PurLife (3821 Menaul NE, Ste. F) for a spot of Secret Formula #2 (THC: 28%, CBD: <0.5%—$13/gram). I was hungry for it the second I sniffed the jar. It smelled tart and burned at the back of my sinuses. The budtender told me it was a hybrid of White Fire and Do-Si-Dos.I trucked it back home, where I packed a bowl into my new spacey, neon-pink bong and prepared for blastoff. It tasted liked fresh lawn clippings and the searing smoke burrowed deep into my lungs. It was a violent time, full of wheezing, hacking and tear-blurred cartoons. I forced my way through three or four hits and tried to stand up mid-cough. My eyes swam and I laid down on the floor. “I got got,” I hissed at my wife. Her head was cocked, one eyebrow raised. The top half of her body was hanging out of the kitchen. “Mm,” she said and disappeared around the corner again.I made carpet angels and noted a creeping feeling up the back of my spine. I was breathing deeply while thrilling shivers ran up and down my extremities. “I think I’m being enlightened!” I shouted toward the kitchen. “Yep,” she said.I was definitely riding out a euphoric wave that seemed to set this hybrid squarely on the sativa side, but over time, a powerful buzzing body high became more noticeable. It was very relaxing and pleasant—a great foil for depression—but probably not the best choice for the uninitiated.
Baked Goods: The Future Is Cbd
Federal Agencies Make Way
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