SARASOTA, Fla. — There are questions about what’s legal when it comes to CBD oil, and police in Sarasota say they’re cracking down. They’ll be sending out letters to shops selling the marijuana derivative.
They say in Florida, those products are illegal.
"I’m very comfortable saying that what I’m providing my clients is 100 percent legal,” says CBD store owner Shelby Isaacson.
She said each drop of a CBD oil helps the body heal. “I have chronic migraines. I haven’t had a migraine in two years.”
Isaacson opened her Sarasota store Second and Seed in September. She says, “The most popular is the 1,000 milligrams that last you about a month.”
The product also comes in tablets and creams.
“This topical is used for arthritis and shin splints and menstrual cramps,” she said
It’s what’s in the product that Sarasota police finds problematic. Detective Mike Harrell says while the Federal Farm Bill allows up to .3 percent of THC in hemp products, but Florida laws do not.
“THC is illegal,” says Harrell. He said police have found a lot of products labeled "No THC" actually have THC in them.
Harrell has received more than half a dozen complaints, "partly from people who failed drug tests at work and are in jeopardy of losing their careers."
Sarasota police will soon be handing out a letter to stores selling CBD products to stop or risk having the products confiscated.
“Our letter will ask them to stop selling the product until it’s licensed or regulated by one of the state agencies. The new commissioner of agriculture agreed CBD products and hemp products sold in our state are not legal,” says Harrell.
“I feel these federal laws are what we should be following. We’re helping a lot of people on a daily basis,” says Isaacson. “You cannot buy hemp products at a dispensary. We have dispensaries sending people here for CBD products. Pediatricians and pain doctors are sending people to local stores. Instead of lumping all of us together, let’s have real communication.”
Isaacson says a letter won’t stop her from selling CBD products.
“I’m going to continue to sell my products. I’m in the right. I have the backing of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable.”
Police says businesses will get two warnings to stop selling CBD products or have their products confiscated. Police say since the product is not regulated by the FDA, you don’t know what you are getting.
Isaacson says she has her products tested by three independent labs and those results are available to clients.
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