Cannabidiol, or CBD products, have become an essential commodity in millions of American households. Every other day, a new brand is popping into the market to cater to this huge surge in demand for CBD as a wellness journey partner.
From celebrities to influencers, everyone’s pushing their own CBD products with a unique blend of flavors and aesthetic packaging. CBD is now available in the form of gummies, tinctures, topicals, sprays, vapes, and even clothing.
You can easily find third-party lab-tested products through reputable brand sites or at your local brick-and-mortar CBD store.
Still, it is a relatively new phenomenon and only became officially legal a few years ago on the federal level. States have their own interpretations and rulings around the 2018 farm bill, which makes it quite confusing for users to understand whether and what type of CBD products they can legally buy at their location.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the legal status of CBD products across American states.
What’s CBD? Is it Legal?
CBD is a plant compound commonly known as a cannabinoid in scientific terms. Hemp and marijuana plants have hundreds of cannabinoids in them, but CBD, to date, remains the most widely used and studied one.
In full-spectrum CBD products, other cannabinoids like CBN, CBG, and THC are also present, but only in fractional amounts. Unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD doesn’t have any intoxicating properties, which makes it perfect for day-to-day consumption without the risk of getting high.
Studies have shown that CBD is completely safe for consumption, even at very high doses, and people can’t normally overdose on it.
This is a major factor behind its success among pain patients who earlier used to get addicted to opioid-based medications. CBD is known for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-anxiety, sleep-enhancing, and appetite-stimulating properties.
A large number of Americans now use CBD regularly to feel relaxed, focused, and pain-free. It’s proven to be effective against certain neurological disorders. Even the FDA has approved a CBD-based medication called Epidiolex for those who suffer from severe epilepsy.
So, is it legal? Well, yes, but there’s more to it. The source of CBD products can affect their legality from one state to another. As per the 2018 farm bill, CBD products are legal for sale and consumption only if they are derived from hemp plants and don’t have more than 0.3% THC in them.
If you want to consume marijuana-derived CBD with higher THC concentrations, you’ll need to be part of a medical marijuana program, which again will differ from state to state, and not all states have an established medical marijuana framework.
Also, there’s a hiccup in the legal use of CBD as part of beverages and food items. As per FDA guidelines, since CBD is now used in the prescription drug Epidiolex, it can’t be used in other edible or drinkable food items.
But this isn’t enforced harshly, and you can easily access CBD-induced coffee, juices, or cookies in the market.
States Where Only Hemp-Derived CBD is Legal
In this list, we’ve covered all the American states where only CBD products made from industrial hemp are legal. Plus, max to max, they can have only 0.3% THC in them.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Idaho
*Idaho is the only state in this list that allows only CBD isolate products with zero THC in them. Here you can’t buy any full-spectrum or broad-spectrum products that contain other cannabinoids like THC, CBN, CBG, and more.
States Where Both Hemp And Marijuana CBD Is Legal
In this list, we’ve covered states where you can legally access both hemp and marijuana-made CBD products. But the catch is that, without a medical license, you can only buy hemp-derived CBD products with no more than 0.3% THC in them.
For CBD products made from marijuana and having more than 0.3% THC, you’ll need to be part of the state’s medical marijuana program. Plus, these high THC concentration CBD products are only available at licensed dispensaries.
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
Some people also like to grow their hemp plants and make all sorts of stuff like gummies, ropes, milk, protein, medicines, and whatnot.
But this is allowed in only 46 out of 50 American states. You cannot grow your hemp if you live in Mississippi, South Dakota, Idaho, or South Dakota.
Where Can I Buy CBD Legally?
So from the above lists, it’s clear that you can buy CBD in all the American states legally, with some having restrictions on certain kinds of products. The best place to get your set of CBD gummies is through reputed and trustworthy brand sites like Colorado Botanicals. Why?
You get the latest lab test reports, quick delivery, better discounts, and superior quality, all from the comfort of your home. But some people like to shop around, check the products in hand, and inquire about details from a real person; for them, offline brick-and-mortar stores are the best.
Plus, some stores give you extra rewards and points if you regularly buy from them, and you also get to taste some samples to see whether the flavor works for you or not.
Lastly, suppose you need more potent products and have a severe medical condition. In that case, you can enroll in your state’s medical marijuana program and directly buy high-strength products from certified marijuana dispensaries.
Conclusion
To sum it up, yes, if you want to buy hemp-derived CBD products, then it’s completely legal in all US states. The only condition is that it must not have more than 0.3% THC, and in Idaho, it shouldn’t have THC at all.
Certain states also allow you to buy marijuana-derived CBD products that have more than 0.3% THC in them, but only if you are part of the respective state’s medical marijuana program. So yeah, don’t stop yourself from trying some delicious CBD gummies out of fear of legality.
It’s perfectly ok to have them as long as you buy them from trusted and reputable sources like Colorado Botanicals. Just make sure that you start your CBD journey with a low dose, as initially, it can make you feel slightly dehydrated and fatigued.
Also, always check the third-party lab report to confirm potency and quality, and ensure that you store the products in a cool, dry place after opening the package.
