The House Health & Welfare Committee has advanced a bill to legalize CBD oil to the House floor for a vote.
The committee heard two hours of testimony on House Bill 577 before unanimously agreeing to move the legislation forward.
The bill sponsored by Rep. Dorthy Moon, R-Stanley, provides for the lawful possession of cannabidiol oil or CBD.
CBD is a non-hallucinogenic cannabis compound sometimes used to treat seizures, migraines, chronic pain and other medical conditions.
Under the bill, the CBD oil would have to contain less than 0.3 percent of TCH, the hallucinogenic compound found in marijuana.
Members from the law enforcement community and representatives from Idaho Office of Drug Policy testified against the bill Friday.
Opponents raised concerns about CBD being used as a gateway to marijuana use, lack of FDA oversight and the possible strain it could put on local law enforcement agencies. Still, those representing law enforcement agencies testified, to their knowledge, local departments had not made arrests for CBD use.
Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter vetoed similar legislation in 2015 in favor of creating the Expanded Access Program, which allowed a limited number of children access to the brand name CBD oil Epidiolex under the care of a physician.
The bill now heads to the House floor for a vote.
