
By Illinois Radio Network/Cole Lauterbach
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois could soon require CBD oil to be lab-tested, something not required elsewhere.
Cannabidiol, or CBD as it’s known, is currently unregulated by the federal government because it’s considered a dietary supplement. State Rep. Bob Morgan hopes to pass House Bill 3906, legislation that would give the state Department of Agriculture regulatory powers over the oil.
Delbert Wingert owns Kankakee Natural Foods and sells CBD oil there. He said there is a legitimate concern that some products aren’t well-made.
“I guess that’s the biggest concern,” he said. “Some of it is getting watered down, put together in a garage and sold on the internet.”
But, he said the federal government handle regulation rather than having different rules in each state.
“If I were to see legislation, I would prefer to see it come from a federal level where you’ve got an umbrella embracing all the states,” he said. “State-by-state, it leaves a lot of concerns. We live near a border where people could cross over the border to buy it.”
CBD oil doesn’t contain THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis that produces a high.
The bill has bipartisan backing. If passed, it would be would be effective 180 days after being signed.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex, the first drug derived from CBD, in 2018.