Bradley Partner Whitt Steineker Quoted in AJC on the Confusion Surrounding the Legality of CBD

Bradley attorney Whitt Steineker was quoted in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the confusion over the legality of CBD products in Georgia. The federal Farm Bill approved last year removed CBD from the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it is no longer illegal under federal law. However, laws don’t specifically state that it’s OK for individuals to possess CBD oil. As a result, several people have been arrested recently in other states for possessing CBD oil, including a 69-year-old grandmother who was taken into custody at a Walt Disney World security checkpoint after a guard found CBD oil while searching her purse.

Steineker explained that hemp can look and smell like marijuana, so it’s understandable law enforcement might not be sure. He added that he thinks legal clarity will come and will be assisted by new technology that could quickly test and determine the difference between marijuana and CBD.

“It is weird times. And, if it seems like you don’t understand how it all makes sense, it’s because it doesn’t all work together yet, and it’s disjointed,” Steineker said. “I don’t think it’s purposeful or necessarily a result of bad law making. It’s just a function of incrementalism. … I think we are getting closer and closer to a unified policy on the hemp question.”

“I hate to tell people [to] live in fear of police, because most people are not getting arrested for this,” he said. “But they need to be aware of the remote possibility and sometimes episodes like the Disney grandma are helpful reminders of extreme circumstances. But the reality is many people are legally using CBD every day and not getting arrested.”

The complete article, “Confusion Continues Over the Legality of CBD Products” first appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on May 31, 2019.