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Poll: 86% Of Floridians Support More CBD Research

CBD oil has shown some potential for therapeutic benefits, but is still highly unregulated in Florida and elsewhere. ROBERT FISCHER/FLIKR

A poll from the advocacy group National Consumers League shows that 86 % of Floridians think cannabidiol products “should be safe, backed by proven science and work as advertised.”

CBD - derived from the hemp plant, a cousin of the marijuana plant - is legal on the federal level as long as it doesn't contain more than 0.3%  THC, but the market is still a wild west.

CBD is sold in medical marijuana dispensaries, vape shops, convenience stores and more in forms like oil, pills and creams, and is used by people for things like pain and anxiety.

RELATED: CBD: What's In It, And How To Spot Scams

But the Federal Drug Administration hasn't approved it for medical treatment, and there's no real regulation of THC content or ingredients.

Patricia Kelmar with the National Consumers League said their poll shows people are looking beyond traditional medicine for help, but support more research being done.

“CBD does have the potential to provide therapy and and give us some relief. But we just have to make sure that the science is behind it

Kelmar says the approval for this kind of regulation increases in their poll by those people who are actually using CBD products.

Florida Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried is working with legislators on new requirements for sellers that would standardize testing and labeling on CBD products.

I took my first photography class when I was 11. My stepmom begged a local group to let me into the adults-only class, and armed with a 35 mm disposable camera, I started my journey toward multimedia journalism.
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