What States Legalized CBD Oil: Update

The federal government reserves the power to come up with policies on both recreational and therapeutic drugs. At the beginning of the campaigns for legalization, CBD and other cannabinoids were categorized as Schedule 1 restricted substances. This categorization was due to the relationship between cannabis and THC, which is psychoactive. This background and the relationship between CBD and THC are the reasons why the federal position on the legality of CBD oil is essential in all jurisdictions across the U.S.

The Farm Bill – 2014 made a legal distinction between two strains of marijuana; regular cannabis and industrial hemp. Regular marijuana contains a high percentage of THC, while industrial hemp has higher CBD than THC amounts.

It allowed for the growth, transportation, and research on industrial hemp provided it contained a maximum of 0.3% THC. Regular, THC dominant marijuana, on the other hand, remained a Schedule 1 restricted substance. This separation was critical to the growth of research on CBD.

There was, however, a bit of ambiguity on whether Farm Bill -2014 only legalized the hemp plant or extracts from it too. This ambiguity led to some states considering industrial hemp resin and all other extracts from it as narcotics.

To clarify this matter, the Farm Bill – 2018 stated that industrial hemp extracts would also be legal. As a result, CBD oil is permitted throughout the United States as long as it is extracted from industrial hemp. If, on the other hand, you want to use CBD obtained from marijuana, you can use it for medical purposes according to the state law or if the state in question allows for recreational use of weed.

There are different levels of legality for CBD oil. Some states only allow it for therapeutic purposes, while some would permit it for both recreational and therapeutic purposes. The vast majority of states and jurisdictions allow the legal use of CBD in one form or another.  The following are the states where CBD is legal in some measure.

As observed earlier in the article, there are nuances where the legality of CBD is concerned. All the states in the list above have it legal in one form or the other. There are, however, some states in the list where CBD oil can only be used for the management of conditions outlined in medical marijuana laws. These are the states we shall discuss in this section. In these states, you can use CBD oil for cancer or other conditions at the recommendation of a doctor, but you can’t get the best CBD gummies for your enjoyment. A doctor has to be involved. They are as follows.

Alabama 

In 2016, the Alabama State legislature passed the so-called Leni’s law, so if anyone asked ‘what states is CBD legal in 2018?’ Alabama would have been one of them. This legislation allowed people with intractable conditions to use CBD oil in their management. The CBD can only be used at the recommendation of a state-registered physician. Such a proposal allows a patient to obtain a medical marijuana card. Only CBD oil obtained from industrial hemp is legal in the state. CBD oil that has been extracted from marijuana is prohibited even for therapeutic purposes.

Georgia 

Georgia allows the use of CBD for some degenerative conditions such as seizures, irritable bowels syndrome, and a host of other conditions that are all listed in the legislation. The main difference between Georgia and most of the other states is that it allows for a higher concentration of THC at 5%.

Iowa 

Iowa passed the law to allow the use of CBD for medical purposes. The bill authorizing the use of CBD oil also listed the conditions in which the oil can be used. People with the listed conditions need medical marijuana cards that can only be given by the state department of health at the recommendation of a certified physician.

Kentucky

The state has legalized the use of CBD as long as it contains no more than 0.3% THC. The CBD oil is only legal if you have a prescription from a recognized doctor or if you take it in a clinical trial sponsored by the state government. Only CBD oil extracted from industrial hemp is legal in Kentucky.

Mississippi 

The state of Mississippi allows people who have intractable epilepsy to use CBD for the management of seizures. The CBD oil, however, must contain at least 15% CBD and no more than 0.5% THC.

Nevada

The Nevada medical marijuana act was passed to the law through a ballot measure in 1998 and further improved in 2000. The bill allows the use of marijuana for people with specified conditions outlined in the legislation. One needs a diagnosis from a registered doctor to access cannabis. A patient or their caregiver can have, in their possession, up 2.5 ounces.

North Carolina 

This state allows the use of CBD oil for the management of severe cases of epilepsy. The only CBD products permitted in this state are those extracted from industrial hemp. CBD oil extracted from marijuana is entirely illegal even if it meets the rest of the criteria.

South Carolina 

Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome and other types of intractable epilepsy are authorized for treatment with CBD oil. The THC percentage in these oils must not be above 0.9%

Tennessee 

In Tennessee, CBD extracted from industrial hemp is legal for the management of epilepsy. One can only buy this oil from state-sanctioned dispensaries and with a prescription from a registered physician.

Virginia 

Virginia allows for the sale of CBD oil as long it has no more than 5% THC. It must also have a minimum of 15% CBD. The conditions that can be used to manage are outlined in the legislation governing its legalization and usage. A recognized doctor must prescribe CBD oil.

Wisconsin 

The state has legislation outlining the conditions in which CBD oil can be used. The disease has to be diagnosed by a certified doctor, and they must clearly state that CBD will be used to treat the condition.

Wyoming

In Wyoming, CBD is legal for the treatment of intractable cases of epilepsy after all other medication has failed. Treatment is only permitted if the patient’s neurologist recommends it. The neurologist is then required to submit the request to the State Department of Health. Once certified, the department of health then issues the patient with a card to enable them to obtain weed from state-sanctioned dispensaries.

States where recreational marijuana is legal allow medical marijuana by default. After all, if people can freely access weed for recreation, they can then use it for therapeutic purposes. Here you can get the best CBD oil for dogs and other pets or even for yourself without any restrictions whatsoever.  These states, however, still put in place laws to govern the use of marijuana for therapeutic purposes. The intention is usually to ensure that people who use weed for management of conditions are protected from any harmful consequences.

Alaska

Alaska legalizes the use of medical marijuana in 1998 through a ballot measure. It required anyone wishing to use it to obtain a recommendation from a doctor. With this recommendation, you were allowed to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to six cannabis plants for personal use. Later in 2014, in another ballot measure, Alaskan voters legalized the use of recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21. Each person was allowed to possess an ounce of weed for personal use. Qualified users can grow up to six plants to supply their own needs. It also provides for the sale of recreational marijuana in state-sanctioned dispensaries.

California

California has always been ahead of other states where marijuana is concerned. In 1996, it became the first state to legalize medical marijuana. The first ballot measure for the legalization of weed was way earlier in 1972. Although the 1972 action was not successful, it was an explicit declaration of intent that has since been borne out by the activities of Californians in this regard.

In 2016 voters passed Proposition 64, which allows the use of marijuana for recreational purposes by people over the age of 21. Three bodies regulate the use of marijuana and enforcement of related laws in California; the Bureau of Cannabis Control, Department of Public Health, and the Department of Food and Agriculture.

Colorado

Colorado has policies for medical marijuana, recreational marijuana, and industrial hemp. The state legalized the use of medical marijuana through a ballot measure in November 2000. This law allowed patients with recommendations from recognized physicians to have up to two ounces of cannabis for personal use. A person with written consent from a doctor could also legally grow a maximum of six flowers for personal use. The conditions in which a doctor can authorize the use of marijuana are outlined in the law.

Colorado allowed recreational use of marijuana for adults through a ballot measure in November 2012. The statute provides for qualified individuals to grow a maximum of six marijuana plants for their personal use, but only three of them can be grown plants. They can also have a maximum of one ounce of weed of them while they are within the borders of the state.

Illinois 

The State General Assembly authorized the use of medical marijuana in the state through passage of the MCPP in 2013. This law allows people to use cannabis for therapeutic purposes. The law specifies the conditions in which marijuana may be prescribed. It also requires a recognized medical caregiver to recommend the use of weed. It is with this recommendation that a user can get marijuana from sanctioned dispensaries.

The use of cannabis for recreational purposes was authorized in 2019 by the Illinois General Assembly. It allows adults above the age of 21 years to purchase and use weed for fun. The law also sets out the limitations to possession, cultivation, and usage.

Maine 

Maine legalized the use of medical marijuana for conditions specified in law in 1999. This legalization was through a ballot measure, and it only allows people with state-issued cards to access cannabis from dispensaries.

In 2016 through another ballot measure, Maine legalized recreational cannabis for adults above 21 years of age.

Massachusetts

You can legally possess a 60-day supply of weed in Massachusetts if you have a medical marijuana card. This was made possible by the Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Initiative, which was passed through the ballot in November 2012. It also provided for the licensing of dispensaries from which licensed patients can acquire cannabis.

In 2016, through another ballot measure, recreational cannabis was legalized in the state. Adults over the age of 21 are allowed to purchase an ounce of marijuana at a time. A user can grow a few marijuana plants for personal use. Once they harvest, they can stock up to 10 ounces. It is illegal to smoke weed in public places or when driving.

Michigan 

Medical marijuana was legalized in 2008 in Michigan. The law, the Michigan Compassionate Use Act, outlines the conditions in which a person can legally use cannabis. That the applying person has these conditions must be certified by a recognized physician. The bill didn’t allow the operation of dispensaries until amendments were made in 2016.

Cannabis was used for recreational use in 2018 through a ballot measure. A person aged above 21 years can buy and use marijuana for fun. The law also allows the user to have up to 2.5 ounces on him without recriminations. A qualified individual can also grow a maximum of ten trees for their use and have up to ten ounces of their harvest within their place of residence.

Oregon 

The state of Oregon legalized the use of marijuana in 1998 through Ballot Measure 67. This law allows people with qualifying conditions as listed in the statute to buy medical marijuana from state-sanctioned dispensaries. Applicants must have been diagnosed by a qualified doctor to benefit from the use of medical marijuana. As per this law, a person can have in their possession up to 1.5 pounds of weed at a time. They can also grow a maximum of 18 marijuana plants, out of which a maximum of six can mature at a time.

Recreational use was legalized in 2014, and it made it possible for a person to buy recreational weed from licensed dispensaries as long as those outlets are licensed to sell recreational marijuana.

Vermont

Medical marijuana became legal in Vermont in 2004. The law was further amended to make marijuana even more available in 2007—the bill outlined who qualified for medical marijuana and the process of acquiring it.

Recreational use became legal in the state in 2018 when the state passed a bill authorizing the personal use. It allowed adults over 21 to possess up to one ounce of weed and grow a maximum of two plants.

Washington State

Medical marijuana in Washington State was legalized through the ballot initiative 692. This ballot measure allowed doctors to prescribe cannabis to patients with debilitating conditions, which were listed in the law. This statute makes it possible for qualifying patients to possess up to 24 ounces of marijuana and to plant a maximum of 15 plants for personal use.

Washington D.C.

Voters in D.C. authorized the use of medical marijuana through a ballot initiative in 1998. The statutes, however, didn’t take effect due to laws passed in the U.S. Senate. It was only in 2013 that the first person bought weed in the state.

The legalization of weed for recreational use came into effect in 2015 through a ballot measure. It allowed people above 21 to have up to 2 ounces of marijuana on them. This initiative also legalized paraphernalia for weed use.

Marijuana is legal in one form or the other in the vast majority of states. The list below outlines the states where only CBD is legal. It contains states, where either CBD obtained from industrial hemp or marijuana, is permitted. Some states have legalized CBD from both sources, while some have only authorized the CBD derived from industrial hemp. This list contains all of them.