It’s not about safety. It’s not about FDA approval. It’s about resistance to change and morals. Some believe it is immoral to smoke marijuana, and they will use any tool available to impose their ideas of morality on everyone else who lives in our state.
How are they doing that?
Misleading or false public statements by local and state officials, a complete ban on smoke shops in the City of Myrtle Beach, a new statewide ban on edibles that contain CBD, and a proposed medical marijuana law that would be the most restrictive in the county and does not allow the patient to smoke the marijuana…
SC’s efforts to stop you from smoking marijuana, using it for medicine, or even using CBD – a harmless chemical that does not get you high – are not grounded in science. It’s not about your safety.
It’s about whether it is “moral” to use any part of the marijuana plant and whether the people who believe it is not moral have the right to force their beliefs on you. So long as our public officials believe that marijuana use is immoral and that they have the right to force their idea of morality on you, marijuana prohibition in SC is here to stay.
Marijuana Prohibition in SC – False or Misleading Statements About CBD by Local Authorities
CBD, or cannabidiol extracted from hemp, is legal in SC.
So, when stores in Myrtle Beach began selling CBD products, what could police and our upstanding, moral, government shepherds do to stop it?
First were the public statements by SLED and local officials – statements that were either outright lies or that were based in ignorance. Statements like:
People are Overdosing on CBD Oil Across the Country
Although it is true that people have overdosed on synthetic marijuana, or spice, no one has ever overdosed on CBD oil, or THC for that matter, in the history of the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that CBD does not induce physical dependence, it is “not associated with abuse potential,” and “there is no evidence of recreational use of CBD or any public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”
SLED and Myrtle Beach officials know that no one is overdosing on CBD oil.
They are referring to synthetic marijuana – which is already illegal, and they should arrest anyone found selling it. But they purposefully made it sound like CBD is killing people to support their position.
Think About the Children…
Not only is CBD oil a dangerous product that is causing overdoses nationwide, but, according to City officials, stores are marketing it to children. Wait, how are stores marketing CBD to children?
Apparently, the fact that CBD is contained in edibles – food containing CBD oil – means they are marketing to children. Except they’re not. No one was marketing CBD products to children or selling them to children as far as I could tell.
Adults like edibles. You like brownies, don’t you? When you see brownies on the shelf in the grocery store, do you think, “hey this is for the kids,” or do you think, “mmm that looks tasty?” Children eat snacks. Adults eat snacks. Children use soap. Adults use soap. If a store sells soap, are they marketing it to children because it is soap?
Apart from lying to the public about CBD oil and it’s “dangers,” what else are state and local officials doing to keep marijuana prohibition in SC?
How Much TCH is Legal in CBD Products?
Last year, law enforcement announced that they would be testing CBD products in stores for THC levels. How much THC is legal?
It’s a gray area – one reasonable interpretation is that no amount of THC is legal, since THC is classified as a controlled substance in the federal Controlled Substances Act. Which means that, if you are playing it safe, your CBD products that you sell in your store should be acquired from a source that tests for THC and ensures 0% THC content.
SC law enforcement has announced at different times that .3% THC content is the limit and that .9% is the limit. Where did those numbers come from?
.3% was the THC limit under the 2014 Farm Bill, which authorized cultivation of hemp plants for research only – not commercial sale (the 2018 Farm Bill has now legalized hemp cultivation and CBD under federal law).
The .9% figure came from Julian’s Law, which also did not authorize the sale of CBD products – it only authorized clinical trials for persons with a severe form of epilepsy.
The City of Myrtle Beach Police Department says that they have “completed multiple controlled buys at location throughout the City of Myrtle Beach,” and that “some of these products tested about the legal limits for THC.”
“Controlled buys.” Like, they are conducting a “drug sting” on stores that are “dealing CBD oil.” They are “working to notify the businesses,” but it’s not clear if they intend to charge any business owners criminally.
If you are contacted by law enforcement about your CBD products and believe you may be charged criminally, call a marijuana defense lawyer asap – before you make any statements to law enforcement.
Myrtle Beach Bans Smoke Shops and CBD Stores
Last year, Myrtle Beach City Council banned all smoke shops and vape stores on the Boulevard between 6th Ave South and 16th Ave North.
In January, Myrtle Beach City Council expanded this, announcing that they were banning the opening of any new smoke shops or vape stores anywhere within city limits. Why? According to City Council, they are a danger to public health, and they hurt Myrtle Beach’s image as a family friendly destination. You know, all the overdoses from CBD and they’re marketing it to children…
The FDA has Not Approved CBD Products
The latest news is that SC will ban all edibles that contain CBD, because the FDA has not approved the use of CBD in food products…
Marijuana Might be Legal in SC Next Year, but You Can’t Smoke It…
There are legislators in SC who are trying to pass marijuana legislation. Several bills have been proposed, including laws that would end marijuana prohibition in SC, but the one that seems most likely to pass would be the most restrictive marijuana law in the country:
- You can only get a prescription if you suffer from certain debilitating medical conditions;
- Even then, you can’t smoke the marijuana – it must be used in the form of oils, gel patches, or topical creams;
- Of course, you also can’t eat it in brownies or candy, because the FDA says they aren’t sure if that’s safe.
SC needs to immediately pass legislation legalizing the use of marijuana for recreational purposes.
Marijuana prohibition was based on lies.
Like alcohol prohibition caused crime, violence, and enabled organized crime, marijuana prohibition causes crime, violence, and enables the cartels.
Marijuana prohibition is going to end. Why must we be the last bassackwards state to get with the program?
Marijuana Defense Lawyers, CBD Oil Business Attorneys in Myrtle Beach, SC
If you have been charged with marijuana possession, distribution, or trafficking, we want to help. If you are a business owner who is being threatened with prosecution for selling CBD products, we want to help. If you are interested in starting up a CBD oil business or in farming hemp, we want to help.
Call Coastal Law now at (843) 488-5000 or send us an email to talk with a Myrtle Beach marijuana defense and business litigation attorney today.
