BOISE - A bill that would legalize the use of cannabidoil in Idaho is making its way through the Statehouse.
CBD oil is used medicinally for a range of ailments.
The oil comes from a different part of the cannabis plant and only contains trace amounts of THC, that's the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana.
A bill to legalize the medicinal use of CBD oil cleared the House Health and Welfare Committee.
CBD oil is illegal in Idaho if it contains any trace amount of THC.
House Bill 577 would allow up to .3 percent of THC in CBD oil. That amount aligns with the federal standard.
Bill sponsor Rep. Dorothy Moon says that amount is not nearly enough to get someone "high."
Moon says doctors and researchers have found that CBD oil can treat epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and pain in general.
It’s a substance she says many of her constituents use, and they would like to be able to do so legally.
“To me this is something that should not be a Schedule I drug because it doesn't get you high, and it’s something that really has some great medicinal purposes,” Moon said.
Moon also argues that with the opioid epidemic nationwide, and right here in Idaho, CBD oil is a natural approach to treat pain and a substance you can't overdose on.
At the hearing today Moon said that some lawmakers were concerned with the oil's connection to pot, but eventually passed the bill out of committee unanimously.
The bill still needs to clear both the House and Senate, as well get a signature from the governor to become law.
In 2015, Gov. Otter vetoed a bill that would have allowed kids with severe forms of epilepsy to be treated with CBD oil. At that time the governor said more research needs to be done.