Indiana AG says you can’t spell relief with CBD
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — CBD products have been legally for sale in Indiana for a while, but a 14-page opinion from the state attorney general puts the industry into disarray.
“My concern is that he is going to try and cancel it in the state of Indiana that is a big concern, he can put a lot of businesses out of business,” said Paul Cruzan owner of Blue River Pharmacy in Brownsburg.
Paul Cruzan and his wife own and operate Blue River Pharmacy in Brownsburg, he says they have been selling CBD products for at least six years.
“I think we are the first pharmacy to sell it,” Cruzan said.
He and his wife both discovered CBD for their own ailments, he says it cured his restless leg syndrome and it helped his wife recover from a rough surgery. Cruzan also says over the past six years they have moved thousands of people off pain meds to CBD products. But one sentence in the attorney general’s opinion threatens to derail the CBD industry.
Hemp-derived products are supposed to be protected by the Agriculture Improvement Act was signed by former President Donald Trump in 2018, but Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s opinion says AIA doesn’t preempt state law in the regulation of hemp.
“CBD is different than our medication usually we have people start with one soft gel in the morning and then go about a week if they are still in pain then we have them add on to it, so they are titrating up over time and being consistent taking it every day, it works differently than the medication,” Cruzan said.
They keep most of the products behind the counter so they can educate new customers on how the products work. Cruzan says he only sells medicinal use products, he does not sell products that contain delta 8, 9, or 10 which are listed as controlled substances in Indiana.
“I could understand if he went after that because it is illegal in about 16 states,” Cruzan said.
Several years ago, CBD products in Indiana were removed from the shelves of retailers but quickly returned. The Midwest Hemp Council is working to clarify current laws as it relates to hemp to offset the attorney general’s opinion.
This story was updated to correct its headline.