CBD question and concerned

I tried a CBD product today and am nervous, I don’t have a national security clearance but might req one in the future (have pub trust)… am I screwed? I thought with the farm bill it was no longer federally schedule 1 / illegal??? They sell it every where now like its cigarettes or bubble gum… what should I do???

No . . . They don’t "sell it everywhere . . . " It isn’t like cigarettes or bubble gum . . .

I really hope that you’re just a troll . . .

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And if you are currently in a Public Trust position you have violated the Drug Free Workplace Act…not good!

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I missed the public trust . . .

I’m Not currently working in a pub trust position but might in future again, also, was a literal candy, didn’t know or purchase myself - friend gave to me said try this. No effect on mind. Will never do again… had I known would have been more wary

Well . . . Your “friend” is an issue . . . If you live in a “legal” state, you need to be very careful. You will have to speak to this if you go after another position.

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Also, federally… hemp is legal in all 50 states, from what I have read… and only 3 states have made hemp derived cbd illegal

There needs to be more guidance on the matter. Today in the news, saw Walgreens and CVS will be carrying hemp derived CBD products in the coming weeks / months as well. So truly, it’ll be as accessible as gum and cigarettes.

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See here: https://www.clearancejobsblog.com/beware-of-using-marijuana-extracts/

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It really doesn’t matter what the states do . . . You aren’t applying to your state for a clearance.

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He does bring up a good point. We are seeing more and more situations where a person brings food to a picnic, it is laced with CBD, and they think it is funny. I had a star athlete apply recently, and she had to report a one of THC event where someone put it in food. She was in a panic attack as she did feel the effect but had no idea the food was laced. If Walgreens and CVS do start carrying this, it will show up in our schools, and offices, and in occasional pieces of candy to each of us. Even in cleared environments. So for the OP, be more selective, ask questions moving forward, and to be truthful I would reveal you had a one of (assuming it was a one of) situation where you unknowingly ingested CBD in a commercial product. In short, be honest. I am convinced this will become more and more prevalent. And the clearance folks are smart enough to suss the difference between a person seeking CBD and a person unknowingly ingesting.

The posts in this thread serve as a good lesson regarding the “culture” of the cleared world…if you don’t want to jump through the hoops required to make sure that you don’t ingest things like CBD, you’re better off not entering this line of work.

And to those of us in it who are getting tired of adhering to these kinds of (sometimes very arbitrary) guidelines, it may be time to develop an exit strategy.

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I am seeing more and more people who have tried CBD products during the investigations going on where I work. This activity is not preventing people from getting cleared. However I will advise people to not indulge.

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First . . . We are, slowly and regrettably, moving toward a time where this will be no more an issue than alcohol. So, in the long run, this is a non-issue. A second point though is that, even in legal states, it’s likely that providing “baked” goods to someone unknowingly is a crime. A serious one.

As our country has moved toward legalization and increased use, Briton has moved in the opposite direction with good reason. THC is actually a pretty dangerous drug. No, not in the “Reefer Madness” way but it is far worse than alcohol. Yet a “friend” who wouldn’t dream of feeding you spiked punch without your knowledge will happily put a bowl of gummies during a party. It’s up to YOU to be careful and to have knowledge of those that you hang around with.

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For the record, I went out and bought multiple drug tests the next day (about $150 worth of drug tests from various brands), and they all came back clean. At this point I’m not sure if my friend was messing with my head or if the CBD product truly contained NO THC. Either way its a lesson learned.

Then he is even less a friend than I was thinking earlier . . .

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The Argricultural Improvement Act of 2018, also referred to as The Farmers Act, made Hemp legal federally to including farming. It’s also stated that CBD oil, if less than .3% THC and taken from legally farmed hemp is now federally legal as well. This was signed on Dec 20 so the above link, while great information, may no longer be valid. I think that is why this is being questioned and no real answer. What affect does the Farmer Act which essentially makes CBD legal nationwide under strict circumstances, have on security clearences?

Oh and Hi. New here and was basically looking around for information and found this thread.

Please post a reference stating “CBD is now federally legal for use.” I don’t believe you will find that specific info. It may be legal under federal law to grow it…but it is not a legal substance to consume for those with security clearances, yet I see it popping up at gas stations all over my area. There are no controls on the level of THC so a person may try to consume those under the threshold you mentioned but they will simply not know and run the risk of it showing on a drug test.

Its a confusing topic right now and this article doesn’t do much to help the situation. When I said “CBD is now federally legal for use.”, that was with the requirements met stated in this article below. This is from here:

“One big myth that exists about the Farm Bill is that cannabidiol (CBD)—a non-intoxicating compound found in cannabis—is legalized. It is true that section 12619 of the Farm Bill removes hemp-derived products from its Schedule I status under the Controlled Substances Act, but the legislation does not legalize CBD generally. As I have noted elsewhere on this blog CBD generally remains a Schedule I substance under federal law. The Farm Bill—and an unrelated, recent action by the Department of Justice—creates exceptions to this Schedule I status in certain situations. The Farm Bill ensures that any cannabinoid—a set of chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant—that is derived from hemp will be legal, if and only if that hemp is produced in a manner consistent with the Farm Bill, associated federal regulations, association state regulations, and by a licensed grower. All other cannabinoids, produced in any other setting, remain a Schedule I substance under federal law and are thus illegal.”

In one sentence they says it’s still illegal but in the same paragraph they point out that if it’s grown, harvested, and follows all federal and state regulations, it would be legal. Right now, if advising, I would say stay away from it if you have a security clearance but I think it’ll be completely legalized soon but heavily regulated by everyone including the FDA. As a side note, the Stars and Stripes had a column on it recently and said that the Navy and Marines are allowing their troops to use CBD with the understanding it’s the individuals responsibility to make sure they don’t take CBD oil high in THC. If they test positive, it’ll be treated the same as smoking weed.

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Hitting one of my soap box issues so I will climb up briefly and then get down:

CBD is useless except for some anecdotal evidence touted by those looking for legalization. It’s a farce designed to push legalized pot a step at a time. Pot, cannabis, is dangerous in ways that have actually been known for 150 years. The ties to psychosis, schizophrenia and violence were first noted in Mexico (where grass was outlawed BEFORE the U.S. did so) and in colonial India. Two of the nations where use became a problem in the early 20th century.

Just stay away from both. If you’re going to split hairs on legality and then request a security clearance you are too much of a risk to handle classified information anyway.

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