Business, Nature

Is CBD Oil Legal in 50 States of the USA? – 2020

Image by Julia Teichmann from Pixabay

The controversy surrounding legal medical marijuana has effectively turned it into the most popular topic across the country. Continuous efforts are being advocated towards legalizing CBD in more states of the USA. 

Virtually every American is curiously keeping up with the news about it and looking for the answers to questions such as: “Which state would be the next to fully legalize marijuana? Who will be the latest politician to introduce the bill for legalization?

The U.S. is inundated with these politically debatable questions.

The politics in the U.S. may be rightly said to have been centered on the legislation of marijuana as some states were won over based on this premise. This scenario could have played out in the 2016 election, which proved not to be the best of elections for many reasons but was probably the reason for the victory (legalization of recreational weed) in the four states of Maine, California, Nevada, and Massachusetts. 

Before this time, Colorado and Washington had legalized it in 2012. And they were later, in 2014, joined by Alaska and Oregon to become a part of the group of legalized weed states. Vermont was to follow on their heels in 2018, while Michigan also came on board in the midterms of 2018.

It should not come as a surprise that the weed industry has had a huge year of growth. After it gained popularity, the demand for the products has astronomically increased and this is due to the fact that it’s a major constituent chemical compound-CBD. 

CBD or Cannabidiol is one of the naturally occurring chemical compounds found in Cannabis or Hemp plant. Research says it has the potential of serving various benefits for several health syndromes such as seizures, anxiety, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, and many more. 

All these factors have made it a natural fit for both recreational and medicinal weed. 

Federally, is CBD Oil Legal?

CBD is federally legal based on the 2018 Farm Bill that opened the doors for farmers to grow industrial Hemp and also, CBD infused products can be purchased throughout the nation. Prior to this, CBD had only got a legal status 47 states,  now, however, it has become legal at the federal level.

Although marijuana-derived CBD was fully legal in some states, it is not the case in all the states in the U.S. Finally, in 2019, CBD derived from Hemp and its products are completely legal to use across 50 states nationwide. 

Despite the fact that many states have legalized some forms of Marijuana, still, the U.S. DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) still classifies CBD as a Schedule I drug, which is defined as “drugs that are not currently accepted for medicinal use” the entire Cannabis plant is classified under this.

Legal marijuana is still going through a difficult transitional period because of its potential exceptions. A good example is that the Food and Drug Administration has approved “Epidiolex”- a medicine containing CBD – as helpful in alleviating pediatric epilepsy. 

The DEA classified this as a Schedule 5 drug, which indicates the lowest potential for abuse and addiction.

The legal status of CBD Oil across the nation

Since legal cannabis has got the much-needed push which has given it a boost, there are currently only three states where any sort of CBD is completely illegal. If you’re an American native but not a native of these three states, then you’re lucky since you access to legal CBD oil.

These 3 states are:

●        Idaho

●        Nebraska

●        South Dakota

If you are in any of these three states, you opt for hemp-based CBD products that are available at Hempeli, CBD store, USA. Before buying, however, you must endeavor to find out which CBD extract is used in the products.

You can make use of CBD products without bothering about the legal status of the CBD extract (hemp or marijuana) if you are a native of any the following 10 states where Cannabis has been fully legalized for recreational and medicinal purposes.

The 10 states are:

  1. Alaska
  2. Maine
  3. Michigan
  4. Oregon
  5. Colorado
  6. Nevada
  7. Vermont
  8. Massachusetts
  9. California
  10. Washington

In the remaining 37 states, Hemp-derived CBD is completely legal since the inception of the 2018 Farm-Bill. However, as per jurisdiction, specific-states have some sort of legislation surrounding Marijuana derived products.

The complete list of 37 States are:

●        Arizona

●        Florida

●        Hawaii

●        Delaware

●        Georgia

●        Alabama

●        Arkansas

●        Indiana

●        Connecticut

●        Illinois

●        Mississippi

●        Kentucky

●        Iowa

●        Louisiana

●        Kansas

●        New Hampshire

●        Maryland

●        Montana

●        Minnesota

●        New Jersey

●        Missouri

●        Ohio

●        New Mexico

●        North Dakota

●        New York

●        Rhode Island

●        Oklahoma

●        Pennsylvania

●        North Carolina

●        South Carolina

●        Utah

●        Tennessee

●        West Virginia

●        Texas

●        Wyoming

●        Wisconsin

●        Virginia

Now that Hemp has practically become legal, it has created a huge base for expanding the CBD industry. So if you are consuming hemp-based CBD products, you have no reason to be concerned. 

However, the case for marijuana-based CBD products still has a lot of inroads to be made and you need to be conversant with the relevant legislation at the state level. A great deal of work is ongoing with the view of fully legalizing marijuana, research work is still going on at full blast on the different types of CBD as well as the entire subject of cannabis and to a large extent the marijuana plant holistically.

Where to buy CBD Legally?

Nowadays, the popularity of CBD is growing exponentially. This has lead to a vast range of CBD products like CBD edibles, lotions, crystals, vape, and many more, some of them have been legalized for buying and selling. 

Having a broad range of products coupled with the popularity, businesses are trying to capitalize on the boom.

Now you can get CBD products in all 50 states as well as outside the U.S. too, you can find them online or in nearby health stores, pet stores, retail stores and more. Its accessibility in all the states of the USA has rendered it easy to come by for anyone who is willing to use it.

In the state dispensaries, CBD oil can be found with recreational and medical cannabis. You need to understand that the CBD products can be produced from either the Hemp plant or the  Marijuana plant, hence the need for caution. 

They may have a high percentage of THC, which could cause intoxication and also might fail you in a blood test.

 Why CBD is becoming Legal?

CBD or cannabidiol is a naturally occurring chemical compound from the cannabinoid family in the cannabis plant. Scientists and researches have isolated 108 different types of cannabinoids in cannabis. 

While Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a cannabinoid best known for its psychoactive properties, unlike CBD, THC gets you “high” or creates a mind-altering effect. Due to CBD’s potential therapeutic benefits, it is quickly gaining ground.

The foremost reason for CBD’s legality is that CBD is derived from the Hemp plant with a maximum concentration of CBD of up to 60-70% and a trace amount of THC (0.3%). Due to CBD’s non-psychoactive properties and its beneficial medicinal uses without getting you high, it has become legal and it’s a general prediction that in the years to come, CBD will be the only name for any ailment.

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About John Ejiofor

John Ejiofor is a curious life-researcher, whose quest to finding answers to life's pertinent questions has led to founding Nature Torch. This blog aims to debate and explore many questions about our earth -- including those a lot of people are uncomfortable with asking. He has been published on some of the internet's most respected websites, which you can find online.
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