.Senator Feinstein Discovers Cannabis Science, Supports CBD

Ardent drug warrior and California Senator Dianne Feinstein evolved a little on the topic of pot this week, moving to endorse federal research on cannabidiol — a therapeutic molecule in cannabis.

Feinstein and Iowa republican Senator Chuck Grassley sent letters to the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services this week, “urging the agencies to determine whether cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of marijuana, should be rescheduled and asking the agencies to clarify their conflicting positions on existing barriers to cannabidiol research,” according to public statements.

The senators requested that: “the Department of Justice, in concert with the Department of Health and Human Services, immediately conduct a scientific and medical evaluation of, and provide a scheduling recommendation for, cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound derived from the marijuana plant and administered in the form of an oil.”

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The senators also requested that the departments work to “determine ways to remove any unnecessary barriers that stand in the way of research into the potential medical benefits of marijuana and CBD.”

The letters come amid unprecedented outcry over the federal designation of marijuana and its compounds as extremely dangerous drugs like heroin and PCP. Whole plant cannabis, as well as CBD, are Schedule 1 drugs — considered the most dangerous. Pure synthetic, high-inducing THC in pill form — called Marinol or generic Dronabinol — is Schedule 3.

Several Congressional bills seek to re-schedule cannabis, end the federal war on medical marijuana, or legalize pot entirely.

After decades of only approving research on the potential harms of cannabis, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has performed its first-ever U-turn this spring, asking for research proposals on pot for pain management.

Feinstein’s newfound support for CBD — which is the second most common active ingredient in marijuana, and which patients report using to manage incurable seizures — mirrors the evolution of conservative leaders in places like Texas and Georgia, where cannabis science is rapidly gaining ground.

However, Feinstein continues to support the four-year-old joint federal-state medical cannabis crackdown in California, which continues to harass and imprison CBD-rich cannabis product makers and distributors.