CBD oil up for debate, local shop reacts

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- 60 days. That's how long the state of Indiana has, to make a decision concerning the future of CBD oil.

CBD oil is a substance found in marijuana, and is normally used to treat patients suffering from seizures or pain.

It's always been legal in Indiana, because experts say, the compound alone cannot get a user high. 

Glass Roots in downtown Mishawaka, is one of the few stores in the area that sell CBS oil.

It's one of their more popular items.

"We sell gummies, we sell suckers," says owner, Tom Vickers.  "People that have cancer, people that have epilepsy, people that have arthritis... a variety of issues that take multiple medications.

He says his customers are quite happy they can get CBD oil at his store.

"The customer feedback is that it helps relieve their symptoms," explains Vickers. 

And he's hoping they'll continue to be able to find relief.

"The state [may] remove the ability for people to obtain an alternative source of relief, that doesn't come with all of the side effects of prescription pills," he says.

The state isn't confiscating as of now. 

In a statement to ABC57 News, Governor Eric Holcomb says, "CBD oil has been sold in Indiana for several years. The excise police will use the next 60 days to educate, inform, and issue warnings to retailers, so there is a reasonable period of time for them to remove products that contain THC."

In that time, the General Assembly will evaluate the legality of the oil.

Attorney General Curtis Hill issued at statement to ABC57 News, saying that it should be illegal. 

The statement says, "There is no doubt, as a matter of legal interpretation, that products or substances marketed generally for human consumption or ingestion, and containing cannabidiol, remain unlawful in Indiana as well as federal law." 

But Vickers says, he's seen differently, based on his customers who keep coming back.

"The product really hasn't demonstrated to have harmed anyone," he explains. "I think it's a shame. If you're going to pull a product like that, have something available for these people. Either have it in a pharmacy or have it available through other means."