Life-saving supplement is in danger

OPINION – One out of every seven Californians relies on CBD (cannabidiol). You almost certainly know one of them. Natural, Full-Spectrum CBD can have transformative health benefits for people who suffer from a range of challenges associated with anxiety, PTSD, nausea, menopause, arthritis, ADHD, and the effects of disabling diseases such as Parkinson’s, MS, and epilepsy. Not to mention CBD is often used as an alternative to toxic and often addictive opioids for pain. It has saved my 10-year-old-daughter Sadie’s life from continual, violent catastrophic seizures.

Despite the tremendous natural benefits offered by CBD, there is an effort underway in the California State Legislature that would effectively ban all access to CBD for the millions of Californians who rely on the benefits of CBD products every day.

For many, this would mean returning to a life of pain, sleepless nights, and mood swings. For my Sadie, it could mean death. Given these stakes, we would be one of many families to leave California.

Sadie has a debilitating brain disorder called Rett syndrome, which has caused her to lose the ability to walk, speak, and use her hands. A cascade of other symptoms, including anxiety, insomnia, and gastroparesis, make every day a fight.

Shortly after starting elementary school, Sadie endured her first seizure. Her little body was ravaged by 30 relentless seizures in the span of four hours, leaving us in an ambulance rushing to the hospital. We lived in constant fear of the next seizure.

Like any parent, I would do anything to help my daughter. We tried conventional pharmaceuticals but she continued to seize. Many months and many Emergency Room visits later, we learned that CBD can be effective for controlling seizures. Sadie tried it. Thanks to guidance from Dr. Bonni Goldstein, a California physician and the foremost medical expert on cannabinoids, Sadie takes two daily doses of CBD tincture products, and she has been seizure free for almost a year, with zero side effects.

The change has been miraculous. The dramatic improvement in Sadie’s health has allowed her to go to school every day and make friends. She is engaged, energetic, and happy.

Yet now this life-changing relief could come to an end due to a bill moving through the California State Legislature that is overly broad and conflates all natural, non-intoxicating hemp-derived CBD wellness products with synthetic, intoxicating substances that get you high. The Assembly passed the bill on May 21. It now awaits action in the Senate Committee on Health. A few small changes in language can ensure access to children like Sadie, and mothers like me are working overtime to convince policymakers to do just that.

Hemp is not marijuana. It is high in CBD and low in THC which makes it non-intoxicating. Yet since hemp was de-scheduled at the federal level in 2018, some nefarious actors have exploited loopholes in the law and manufactured a synthetic form of (delta-8) THC from hemp plants. These synthesized substances are harmful, and they are being laced into edible products that children can buy at retail.

If this bill dealt only with banning these synthetic products, then I would support it. The bill’s author says that “if it gets you high, it should not be sold outside a dispensary.” Parents like me agree with that principle, but this bill lumps all hemp-derived products together which will make CBD illegal.

My daughter’s life depends on lawmakers getting this right – and she is far from alone. I am concerned for my daughter and for 5.4 million other Californians, many of whom are chronically ill and disabled. They will suffer if this bill becomes law.

Taking matters into our own hands, I joined Dr. Goldstein and Paige Figi – mother of Charlotte Figi who was afflicted by Dravet syndrome – in Sacramento to meet with Senators, Assembly members, and leaders in Governor Newsom’s office. We shared our stories, expert advice, and most importantly, a practical and easy solution that would ban the harmful, intoxicating, high-THC products while preserving access to CBD for Californians who need it.

Nearly every lawmaker I met in Sacramento shared that they use CBD or have a loved one who uses CBD to address a serious ailment. Yet this legislation continues its march toward passage. If being Sadie’s mom has taught me anything it is that speaking up makes a difference. I urge every Californian to contact their representatives and demand that AB 2223 be amended to preserve access to CBD. If your elected officials know you care, they will care.

Stephanie Atlas Bohn is a marketing executive and a mother advocating for life-saving access to CBD for her daughter Sadie.