Charlotte's Web Medical Cannabis Act of 2014

Republican Congressman Scott Perry (Pennsylvania) along with Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) and Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA-10) introduced the "Charlotte's Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014 (H.R.)" to Congress today - Monday, July 28, 2014.

The bill proposes to exclude industrial hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) from the definition of marijuana, ensuring that children and individuals with epilepsy and other debilitating seizure disorders have access to life-changing Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil and therapeutic hemp such as the Charlotte's Web™ brand of hemp products. High CBD hemp strains have provided relief for thousands of people in the United States as it's shown to reduce the amount and duration of seizures in children suffering from epilepsy and other seizure disorders.

Through cross breeding hemp varieties and landrace strains of cannabis, the Stanley brothers of Colorado developed a rare new strain of hemp that is marketed under the Charlotte's Web™ brand. Charlotte's Web™ products help create a better quality of life for patients of all ages affected by diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's and other debilitating conditions.

Charlotte's Web™ yields the highest known recorded levels of CBD, with very low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis. Charlotte's Web™ offers the beneficial and therapeutic properties of medical marijuana without the psychoactive side effects accompanied by THC. Research suggests that CBD - the compound in cannabis that's demonstrated neuroprotective effects - has significant anti-inflammatory and anti-tumoral properties.

Charlotte's Web™ products are affectionately named after Charlotte Figi, who spent the first five years of her life enduring hundreds of seizures weekly. Charlotte's parents - Paige and Matt - tried administering every medication recommended by doctors including many experimental, non-FDA approved drugs in an effort to save her life, none of which worked. With the assistance of a licensed medical doctor in Colorado, Charlotte was the first patient who used this proprietary strain of cannabis and realized positive results immediately. Over the course of a week, Charlotte's seizures went from several hundred a week to zero. Today, Charlotte leads a happy, playful life, with only occasional seizures.

The success story of Charlotte has caused hundreds of families to permanently relocate to Colorado to gain access to Charlotte's Web™. The legalization of Charlotte's Web™ across the U.S. would allow families to move back to their home states.

The "Charlotte's Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014" would give groups like the Stanley brothers the ability to harvest more plants and extract more oil, facilitating the much needed growth for the Realm of Caring to help the 8,000+ people on the Charlotte's Webs™ wait list, as well as the millions of U.S. patients seeking access to Charlotte's Web™.

The "Charlotte's Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014" in no way federally legalizes the recreational use of marijuana, nor is CBD marijuana; rather, the bill is an incremental approach to providing relief to those suffering from ailments that could benefit from CBD oil and therapeutic hemp such as Charlotte's Web™. This legislation would enable individuals' access to this potentially life-saving supplement without having to split up families geographically in order to receive treatment.

"This bill in no way changes my stance on marijuana," said Rep. Perry. "I still disagree with the recreational use of marijuana; however, these children and individuals like them, deserve a chance to lead a healthy and productive life and our government shouldn't stand in the way. As a father, I can't imagine how helpless and crestfallen I'd feel to be essentially out of options, without any significant way to help my child; and these families live with this circumstance every, single day. These heartbreaking situations compelled me to act at the federal level to enable their access to a supplement that literally has changed lives - not only in the form of relief for the individual who suffers from this condition, but subsequently for their families and loved ones as well."

Lawmakers across the country are moving closer to legalizing the use of CBD oil for thousands of families who suffer from devastating illnesses.The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature recently passed a "Charlotte's Web Bill" after lawmakers heard stories of children suffering from seizures who were being helped by the concentrated cannabis supplement called Charlotte's Web Hemp Oil™. Legislatures in New York, Utah, Illinois, Minnesota and other states have recently passed similar bills.

Florida Governor Rick Scott who signed the "Charlotte's Web Bill" after the Senate approved it in a 36-3 vote said,

"It's very important that the kids not only get this product, but they get a safe and effective product." Scott went on to say, "As a father and grandfather, you never want to see kids suffer. I am proud to stand today with families who deserve the ability to provide their children with the best treatment available.

The Realm of Caring Foundation (RoC) is an affiliated not for profit entity that provides counseling services and dosing-level resources for patients using Charlotte's Web™ products. Led by Heather Jackson (parent to one of Realm's 1st patients) and founded by Paige Figi and Joel, Jesse, Jon, Jordan and Jared Stanley, the RoC is working non-stop to help families provide their children with the best treatment available. Through ongoing research projects, RoC is becoming an educational resource for patients, physicians, scientists, governments and the media.

Stanley Brothers - The Realm of Caring Foundation

Charlotte's Web and Zaki's Journey

Statement on H.R. 5226

Last week we stood next to Congressman Scott Perry when he announced the "Charlotte's Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014" bill. It was an extraordinary moment for us and we were honored to be there representing all the individuals and families who have been fighting so hard with us every step of the way.

Our entire team is proud of the contributions we've made to this federal bill, as it will take out industrial hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) from the definition of marijuana, giving all licensed growers the ability to harvest more plants and extract more oil to help those seeking high CBD hemp supplements.

We see this as a monumental first step in what has been a long struggle for many families around the world trying to provide a better quality of life for loved ones suffering from illness.

We want to make it clear that our chief goal has been, and will remain, to supply families worldwide with a hemp extract that provides relief. While this bill does not provide unfettered access to marijuana, it would allow us to grow more hemp and produce and distribute more Charlotte's Web so that we may meet the needs of those currently on our wait list.

Of course, there is more work to be done in order to move the federal government toward legislation that addresses the need for high THC medical cannabis. There are many patients, of many disease states, who would benefit greatly from THC. We support the recent efforts of Sen. Rand Paul and others who continue to fight towards the legalization of high THC medical cannabis.

Still, for those who will benefit from the non-psychoactive components of the cannabis plant, this bill represents a new hope. Without this bill, these patients will have to wait until the federal government ends its 75+ year prohibition. By moving the non-psychoactive and hemp supplements into a separate category, this bill would not only provide quicker access to patients, it will also allow these safe supplements to be produced on mass scale under agricultural regulations while keeping the price affordable for patients. It simply does not make sense to keep these products which have no potential for abuse, lumped in with psychoactive compounds that are, and likely will always be, strictly regulated.

We see this as a great opportunity for growers across the country to contribute and help families in need. Families have placed their trust in us and they're our primary responsibility. Since the bill was announced, we've learned a lot of families don't understand the legislation and what it means to our mission. We're currently working to update our FAQ page on theroc.us to answer your questions about the legislation, and starting later this month we'll begin hosting a monthly live Q&A chat with a representative from our team where you can ask us any questions you may have. Stay tuned in the coming days for more information about that.

The proposal of the "Charlotte's Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014" is just the beginning. By working together, we'll continue to work towards the kind of positive change that we've been seeking.

None of this could have been possible without our amazing and supportive families. Thank you!

Joel Stanley & Heather Jackson