CBD calls, but will providers answer?

YARMOUTH, Maine - Fifty-one percent of respondents to a recent HME Newspoll say they're considering adding CBD products to their offerings, but they're worried about the possible ramifications to their businesses.

Of those considering CBD, 47% say they need more legal information.

“My concerns are in state and federal regulations,” wrote one respondent. “This affects licensing, purchasing, inventory, distribution and exposure to regulatory audits.”

A provision in last year's Farm Bill made CBD oils, which are processed from the hemp plant, legal to possess as long as they contain no more than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana.

Most states, however, aren't in lock step with the new federal law, keeping CBD products too much of a gray area for some respondents.

“It seems like it would be too much of a headache with the possible liability,” wrote Mickey Whittle of United Medical Partners in New Orleans on what's keeping him from considering adding the products.

Even if a provider is on sound legal ground, there's also the question of product selection. Thirty-one percent of respondents to the poll say they struggle with how to ensure quality, when there are a multitude of largely unregulated options.

“We decided to add CBD products to our store as a convenience to our mostly complex rehab patients, the majority of whom use CBD in one form or another,” wrote Shalon James of Access2mobility in Tyler, Texas. “We made sure they receive a quality product as a lot of the items offered in this area are only available from smoke shops or online, and they are not really regulated (by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration), so you can't be sure of what it is you're getting.”

Lori Sears of Active Home Medical Supply examined manufacturers closely before jumping into the market.

“We already sell it and it's going pretty well,” she said. “We needed to be sure the manufacturer met high standards and will not sell any generic brands.”

Respondents not considering adding CBD products to their business say it doesn't align with their mission.
“It was never the intent of our business to sell such kinds of products,” wrote one respondent. “I think it is bad for our overall industry to walk down this road.”