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A new bill to decriminalize the use of cannabidiol oil and therapeutic hemp was introduced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.).
The bill, "Charlotte’s Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014" (H.R. 5226), would allow for access to cannabidiol (CBD) oil, which has anecdotally been shown to reduce the amount and duration of seizures in children suffering from epilepsy and other seizure disorders in children and adults. It would remove CBD oil and therapeutic hemp from the federal definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act. Therapeutic hemp is defined as having no more than 0.3% THC, which means it has none of the hallucinogenic effects of traditional marijuana.
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Traditional marijuana would still be illegal under the proposed law.
The bill is named for a strain of marijuana, "Charlotte’s Web," from which the CBD oil was derived to treat Colorado girl Charlotte Figi. Perry’s office said that more than 300,000 children in America suffer from some form of epilepsy, with many experiencing more than 100 seizures a day.
Perry’s office emphasized that this is not a bill that would federally legalize the recreational use of marijuana, nor would it legalize all forms of medical marijuana, but it permits access to CBD oil and therapeutic hemp for those who might benefit from them.
"We applaud Congressman Perry and his leadership in creating access to this treatment for Americans with epilepsy who have run out of options," Epilepsy Foundation president and CEO Philip M. Gattone said in a statement. "The Epilepsy Foundation has supported access to CBD oil – which is showing dramatic results for some patients. Access to a lifesaving treatment should not be determined or limited by a zip code. It is time for Congress to enact this sensible bill that could help save lives."