Rep. Jason Chaffetz unveils bill to protect users of cannabidiol oil


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SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, introduced a bill Thursday in Congress to protect people who use cannabidiol oil for medical purposes in states where it is legal.

HR4779, the CBD Oil Act of 2016, would bar prosecution of people legally using cannabidiol oil for medication or research as permitted under state law.

Chaffetz said CBD oil — a marijuana extract low in THC, the chemical that causes the "high" in marijuana — has been used to successfully treat epilepsy, cancer and other illnesses.

"Patients who qualify to receive treatment should not have to fear prosecution by the federal government," Chaffetz said in a statement. "States have taken the lead on this issue, and the federal government should follow."

Marijuana use, which is classified as a Schedule 1 substance, remains illegal under federal law. Other schedule 1 substances include heroin, ecstasy and bath salts.

Fifteen states, including Utah, have passed legislation permitting medical use of CBD oil, according to Chaffetz.

Utahns with epilepsy can use hemp oil containing CBD under a 2014 law called Charlee's Law.

The law permits qualifying patients to use CBD oil on a trial basis, but patients still need to travel to other states where medical marijuana is legal and bring it back themselves, which remains a violation of federal law.

Gov. Gary Herbert supported Chaffetz's bill, calling it an effort "to alleviate the fear that many Utah families face over conflicting state and federal laws regarding cannabis oil."

"This legislation resolves that concern by respecting decisions made at the local level," Herbert said.

State legislators debated two bills this year that would have further legalized medical marijuana, but both failed.

They did pass a resolution calling on Congress to reclassify marijuana from a schedule 1 drug to a schedule 2 drug to make it easier for researchers to study its potential benefits.

Schedule 1 substances such as heroin, LSD and ecstasy are deemed by the Drug Enforcement Agency to have a high potential for abuse and "no currently accepted medical use in treatment."

Chaffetz has said he does not support reclassification of marijuana to advance medical research because experts at the University of Utah told him they have the access they need to CBD oil.

He is also opposed to legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes.

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Daphne Chen

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