Charlotte’ s Web, the high-CBD strain used to produce Charlotte’ s extract. 4 Realm of Caring helps families understand products, dosing, and research while connecting them with support, data-collection efforts, and researchers.
Paige Figi( center) at the Coalition for Access Now advocates meeting in DC for a House briefing in 2023.
Paige also helped establish the Coalition for Access Now to advocate for state and federal policies that would allow families to return home. Participating families cared for one another’ s children while parents traveled to speak with lawmakers across the country.
The Complicated Present
The 2018 Farm Bill removed qualifying hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act but did not create a comprehensive framework for finished CBD products. From Paige’ s perspective, lawmakers did not“ finish the job” because they did not establish consistent standards for labeling, manufacturing, testing, dosing, pregnancy warnings, and enforcement.
Earlier that year, the FDA had approved Epidiolex for seizures associated with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Epidiolex followed the pharmaceutical approval process and contains purified CBD. Paige supported its development because families needed more options, but she does not believe the existence of a prescription product should eliminate access to regulated, nonprescription full-spectrum products. In her view, the categories can coexist.
Without consistent nationwide standards, intoxicating and chemically converted hemp products, including Delta-8 THC, became widely available. The FDA raised concerns about manufacturing methods, contaminants, adverse events, and products packaged in ways that could appeal to children. Between January 2021 and December 2023, the agency received more than 300 adverse-event reports involving Delta-8 THC products, with nearly half involving hospitalization or emergency-department care. 5
Congress responded in 2025 by narrowing the federal definition of hemp. Beginning November 12, 2026, final hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing more than 0.4 milligrams per container of combined total THC and similarly acting cannabinoids will no longer qualify as hemp. The White House has acknowledged that the threshold may also affect full-spectrum CBD products. 6
Executive Order 14370 6 directed federal officials to work with Congress on a definition that could preserve appropriate full-spectrum CBD access while restricting higher-risk products. It also called for standards addressing THC amounts, CBD-to-THC ratios, and real-world evidence. The order did not repeal or delay the November law, so congressional action is still required.
Paige Figi( see arrow) attended a meeting in 2025 at the Oval Office with POTUS on executive order CBD Medicare pilot program.( Photo by Molly Riley, Official White House Photographer)
Paige supports immediate regulation of intoxicating products and the creation of an FDA-regulated dietary-supplement pathway for non-intoxicating CBD products, believing both goals can be pursued together.
How to Get Involved
Paige encourages readers to call and write their U. S. senators, representative, governor, and state legislators. She said the message should be specific: regulate intoxicating hemp-derived products, preserve non-intoxicating access, and correct the federal language before November 12, 2026.
Legislative offices record constituent contacts. Paige said she has repeatedly heard from House and Senate offices that around 60 genuine contacts on one issue may be enough to move it toward the top of an office’ s priority list. She suggested letter-writing dinners and group calls. Coalition for Access Now publishes updated national and state-specific calls to action at www. CoalitionForAccess. org.
Charlotte’ s Legacy
Charlotte’ s name became connected to a product, a movement, and a national policy discussion, but her legacy is not limited to any of them. Her legacy lives on in the willingness to listen to patient experiences, continue the research, and create responsible pathways for products that have already helped improve so many lives.
1. https:// www. sec. gov / Archives / edgar / data / 1351288 / 000156459019005037 / gwph- 10kt _ 20181231. htm
2. https:// www. fda. gov / news-events / public-health-focus / fda-regulation-cannabisand-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd 3. https:// historyofcannabis. org / people / charlotte-figi 4. https:// stanleybrotherscannabis. org / about-us / 5. https:// www. fda. gov / inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminalinvestigations / warning-letters / mary-janes-bakery-co-llc-678010-07152024 6. https:// www. whitehouse. gov / presidential-actions / 2025 / 12 / increasing-medicalmarijuana-and-cannabidiol-research /
Molly Kopczynski is a Kansas City-based HR professional, event producer, and cannabis advocate with over five years of experience in Missouri’ s cannabis industry. Former executive director of NORML KC and owner of Cloud Seeding, LLC, she is also the creator of the local event series WeEDM. She is dedicated to cannabis education and community building.
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