Shutterstock by Andris Tkacenko

Hempfest, our city’s annual paean to pot, returns this August for its 27th year. But lately most of the buzz around cannabis has centered on CBD (cannabidiol), THC’s non-psychotropic sibling. In the last couple years, it’s become increasingly available at healthfood stores, in head shops, and, for a time, in cafes. Proponents claim it has minimal side effects and could relieve everything from anxiety to schizophrenia. Local government is less convinced.