AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill that would allow food with hemp-derived CBD and related products to be sold in Maine is on the fast track to being approved.
State lawmakers unanimously supported a measure by Rep. Craig Hickman on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
Earlier this month, Maine's Department of Health and Human Services told retailers who sold products with CBD to stop because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not approve it as a food additive.
The measure, LD 630 states that hemp is not marijuana which aligns with the recently passed federal Farm Bill. The bill ensures that hemp and hemp-derived food products in Maine are regulated as food, not as medical or adult-use marijuana.
Cannabidiol or CBD is a naturally occurring compound found in the flowers of the cannabis plant. Therapeutic properties of CBD are being tested, and it is considered a safe and non-addictive substance that, unlike THC, does not make a person feel "high."
The measure is now on its way to the full legislature for a vote.
