Is CBD Legal? What You Need to Know

Is CBD Legal? What You Need to Know

The demand for CBD is at an all-time high because it can be used as a natural way to enjoy a wide range of health benefits. With this demand, there has been an increase in the number of states in the U.S. where the marijuana-derived compound is becoming more popular in Kentucky, Colorado, and California. While the increasing acceptance of CBD is a step in the right direction, the future still remains unclear. The federal and state laws stipulate different requirements in different jurisdictions. As a result, there are a lot of people who are still afraid of using CBD. Instead of taking advantage of the benefits of CBD, most people end up wondering whether or not CBD is legal.

CBD is legal in all 50 states, but the legality is circumstantial. Whether or not CBD can be considered legal or illegal depends on some factors, all dependent on the laws applicable in the state. All 50 states agree that CBD is obtained from marijuana or hemp.

CBD from Hemp vs. CBD from Marijuana

A lot of people can tell the difference between full spectrum CBD and CBD isolate. However, regarding the legality of CBD, another major difference is whether it’s derived from marijuana or hemp. An important difference between these two lies in psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) amount that’s produced by both plants.

Both hemp and marijuana belong to the cannabis family. For this reason, they have some characteristics in common. However, an important difference between these two lies in psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) amount that’s produced by either of the plants.

Marijuana can have as high as 30% of THC, while hemp has no more than 0.3%. This means it’s virtually impossible for you to get high with hemp, but you can get high with marijuana. There are no psychoactive effects associated with hemp, and in most jurisdictions, there’s no legal issue behind the use of hemp. In fact, products derived from hemp are legally available in stores and industries across the country. On the other hand, the legality of marijuana is another thing. This is one of the reasons why it’s important to determine the origin of CBD when it comes to the legality issue.

Hemp-derived CBD Legality

If you have CBD derived from hemp, then it’s legal. It’s important that we underline the importance of the hemp-derived concept. The purchase, sale, or possession of hemp is legal in all the 50 states across the U.S. because it has no psychoactive effects.

Hemp has been confused with marijuana in many cases. In fact, there’s a lot of stigma on CBD derived from hemp. Legally, however, this type of CBD is legal, and you should not have any problem with the law.

Marijuana-Derived CBD Legality

CBD derived from marijuana doesn’t enjoy similar luxuries with the law. Given that it’s derived from marijuana that’s rich in THC, even in isolated form, this form of CBD is considered a byproduct of marijuana.

There are states where this form of CBD is legal but illegal in others. Some states that have specific laws for this type of CBD, while there are also states where the issue of CBD remains a delicate discussion. In light of the politics behind CBD, consumers are often left in a state of confusion. In fact, there are states where both types of CBD are legal. It’s expected that by learning from these states, this might set the trend for a nationwide discussion about the legality of CBD.

States in Which Recreational Use of CBD is Legal

At the time of this posting Cannabis is legal in 9 states for recreational use, both from hemp and marijuana. The states are Maine, Colorado, California, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Massachusetts. If you’re in any of these states, you should know that you don’t need a prescription to use any form of CBD legally.

States Where Medicinal Use of CBD is Legal

46 states have currently approved the use of CBD for medicinal use only. However, keep in mind that even though it’s legal to use CBD in these states, the law might differ from one state to the other. There are 17 states that have different legislation for the THC level present in CBD and the conditions for which CBD can be used for treatment.

To be on the safe side, make sure you read on the specific legislation for the relevant state. The 17 states are as follows: Wyoming, Virginia, Utah, Wisconsin, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.

Apart from these 17 states, the other 29 have completely legalized the use of CBD for medicinal purposes, whether it’s from hemp or from marijuana.

Neighboring Puerto Rico and Guam have also approved the use of CBD products, but only for medicinal reasons.

Other than the 8 states where the use of CBD is fully legalized for recreational and medicinal purposes, you must have a medical prescription from a certified doctor for you to purchase any CBD product in any of the 46 states mentioned.

Each of these states has a specific concentration of THC that’s allowed in a single CBD product. The concentration varies from 0.3% to 8%. While there’s a lot of politics around the use of CBD, it’s important to understand what the law stipulates in your specific state, so you don’t find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

States Where CBD is Still Illegal

CBD derived from marijuana is legal in 46 states with different instances, while marijuana-derived CBD is still illegal in South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Idaho.

Take note that in these states, marijuana-derived CBD is actually legal. However, the law is not very clear on this. As a result, you will still come across businesses that sell CBD, and patients who use CBD here. While the benefits of CBD are clear for all to see, if you are in any of these states it’s important that you are very careful about the products you are using.

Interest in CBD keeps growing over time, and there’s a lot of hope that shortly that CBD will be completely legal in all 50 states. However, making predictions of the future is not easy, especially when we look at the fact that there’s always a lot of politics involved in passing some of these legislations. The best that CBD enthusiasts and researchers can do is to keep educating those around them about the benefits of using CBD and create awareness.

CBD Isolate vs. Whole-Plant CBD

Whenever you’re shopping around for CBD, you will come across terms like isolate and full-spectrum. What these terms mean is how the formulation of the CBD product you are looking at is made. A CBD isolate is simply the CBD molecule in isolation. Whole-plant CBD, on the other hand, has other compounds that are derived from the cannabis plant.

There’s a raging debate in the industry at the moment as to whether one of these variants is more effective than the other. However, this debate can only be settled through research, but there’s not much being done on that front.

Some scientists think that there really is no difference between either of these extracts because once it’s in the body, it will process the substance individually. Other scientists believe that the full-spectrum type is the best option.

Those who choose the CBD to isolate like Cannula skin care products believe it’s easier to keep the dose in check. Besides from a manufacturing point of view, it’s also easier to maintain the purity of the CBD molecule.

Using the CBD isolate means that the same content of CBD is applied in all the batches being produced. When in isolation, studies have shown that CBD might be more useful when applied on the skin. This helps soothe feelings of irritation and support an overall healthy balance of sebum. There is, however, no assertion as to whether the impact of CBD isolate would be the same if it’s taken orally, or if it’s taken for purposes that aren’t skin-related.

Some scientists believe that products from full-spectrum CBD could be more useful, especially if you look at things from a health point of view. There might be some light benefits of using CBD as an isolated molecule, but there are other active compounds needed for the plant to deliver optimal results.

Some of the compounds needed include terpenes and cannabinoids which eventually provide the distinct aroma that’s associated with CBD products. The role of the active compounds in CBD is to modulate the effects of one another, thereby reducing the side effects that are associated with either of the constituents. At the same time, these compounds effectively enhance the effects of each other. Therefore, this is one of the main reasons why choosing a full-spectrum whole plant extract is a good idea.

There are studies that have actually supported this theory, proving that a full-spectrum CBD extract is more effective in the treatment of inflammatory conditions than the pure CBD molecules, especially when they are administered internally.

That being said, it’s important to mention that the effect of a specific CBD product will often vary depending on the type of terpenes and cannabinoids found in the formula. It’s, however, not necessary to

have a high level of THC in the CBD product. There are some instances where the presence of THC may be ideal to achieve the perfect results, such as digestive support or relief from discomfort. Generally, however, hemp provides all the benefits that you can get from cannabis and so much more.

Legality of CBD Products without THC

The legality of CBD products is generally a grey area. In fact, things are not as very clear as media folks try to make them sound. It can be very complicated. In the media, for example, there’s the notion that CBD is completely legal in all the 50 states. However, this is simply an attempt at overly simplifying the law, whose current status doesn’t stand as stated.

There are products that are produced from the seeds and stalks of the hemp plant which are legal and have been legal for a very long time. Hemp seeds are present in some of the salads that we eat. The difference here lies in the fact that the mature seeds and stalks don’t have a lot of CBD in them.

The 2014 Farm Bill allowed farmers to consider growing high-CBD hemp strains, from which most of the popular CBD products we have today are derived. This bill further encouraged each state to champion pilot research programs that would oversee the cultivation of industrial hemp that has no more than 0.3% THC.

The contradiction, however, comes in when it comes to the understanding of the law between different agents of the government. This is because each state seems to be coming up with their own unique laws regarding the legality of CBD, and some of the states are extremely strict about their laws. Washington, for example, was one of the first states that legalized the use of recreational marijuana. However, it’s important to note that Washington doesn’t allow industrial processing of hemp for human consumption.

For more information on our Industrial Hemp farm, or to speak to a representative, contact Blue Forest Farms today.