In 2017, the legal marijuana industry in the U.S. made a whopping $9 billion in sales. Experts say that by the time this year ends, this number would have gone up to $11 billion. Much of that increase is thanks to California’s retail market launch last January.
California’s not the only big money-raker though. A May Forbes post showed Michigan made $633 million in legal medical marijuana sales. Arizona also did pretty well, with $406.7 million in sales.
All this said you’re likely thinking you can now get cannabis oil online without any problems. That’s not the case though. There are still several considerations you need to make to ensure what you’re buying is legal.
That’s exactly what we’ll share with you in this post. So, keep reading to ensure a successful CBD shopping experience!
The Legal State of Medical Cannabis
At the moment, there are 33 states, plus the District of Columbia, where medical cannabis is legal. That means you can smoke weed or use cannabis oil, so long as you qualify for medical marijuana.
In short, your medical condition should be in the list of what medical cannabis can treat. If you’re one of the 50 million chronic pain suffers in the U.S., then you can qualify. The same goes true if you have glaucoma, epilepsy, or PTSD among several other conditions.
If you want to smoke cannabis for recreational purposes, that’s a different story. There are only 10 states, plus D.C., where this is legal. The latest addition to the list is Michigan, having legalized it this November.
But what if you don’t want to smoke pot because you’re uncomfortable with the “high” it can give you? That’s where CBD products enter the picture.
Cannabis Oil vs CBD Hemp Oil
Before anything else, here’s a background on some of the most important cannabis terms.
- Cannabis: The plant where CBD comes from and can either be hemp or marijuana
- Cannabinoids: The chemical compounds that make cannabis medicinal and recreational
- CBD (cannabidiol): A therapeutic and medicinal, but non-psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis
- THC (tetrahydrocannabinol): Also a therapeutic and medicinal cannabinoid, but is psychoactive
Note that there are over 420 (yes, 420) constituents of the cannabis plant. CBD and THC are two of these, and they classify as cannabinoids. CBD doesn’t make you high, whereas THC has euphoric and medicinal effects.
You’ll also notice that we mentioned CBD can come from either hemp or marijuana cannabis. That should tell you that not all cannabis oils are CBD hemp oils. This is important because if you buy cannabis oil online, you’d want it to be from hemp.
First, because hemp-sourced CBD contains less than 0.3% of THC. For a CBD product to be legal for online sales, it needs to meet this criterion. Whereas marijuana-sourced CBD can contain THC levels more than that designation.
So, is it legal to buy CBD oil online?
The simple answer is yes, it is. Some reports even say that these products are legal in all of the United States. But again, this is only true if the product has no more than 0.3% THC.
That said, it’s more of a question of where to get your CBD products online. How to make sure the items you’ll spend money on are legit and will help you with your health condition.
Look at Laboratory Tests before Buying Cannabis Oil Online
Think of it this way. Whenever you shop and make purchases, you think long and hard before you decide, right? You look up the seller, read reviews, and compare products before shelling out cash.
But because it’s your health on the line, you need to do more in-depth research when buying CBD oil online. Yes, you may get it anywhere off of the web, but again, not all are quality stuff. There’s also the THC content to consider.
This said, one of the first things to look for before buying CBD products online is the extract’s source. Only reputable CBD oil manufacturers source their extracts from industry-grade hemp plants.
They work with the best cultivators so they can produce products with the highest level of CBD.
To prove this, they have independent third-party laboratories to test their products. They then publish the results of these tests on their websites.
Testing is the only way to prove the validity of claims CBD product manufacturers make. Aside from determining THC content, these tests also look at other ingredients.
They test the product for toxic solvents or unnecessary additives.
That’s why you’ll only find these test results on the websites of reputable CBD oil manufacturers. If not, then take that as a sign you shouldn’t entrust your medical needs to them.
It’s likely they have something to hide which is why they don’t have these test results available.
The Best CBD Products Online have Easy-to-Read Label and Packaging
A study found that very few people read everything written on a product label. In fact, some of them only glance at these labels. As someone new to the world of CBD products, this is one habit you should kick.
One reason is again to ensure that the CBD oil’s extracts come from the hemp plant, not marijuana. Second is to find out how much exactly of CBD that product contains. You may think that you’re getting 1,500 mg of CBD, but that bottle may only contain 1,000 mg or even less.
Reading the label lets you privy to the other ingredients included in the formula too. Let’s say you’re thinking of using CBD for vaping. In this case, know that they’re not pure CBD oil and may have either Propylene Glycol or Vegetable Glycol.
Either way, the CBD vaping oil (or e juice) should then have all other ingredients written on its label. The writing should be in an easy-to-digest manner. If the label or packaging contains almost nothing at all, move on to your next option.
Make Shopping for Your Cannabis Oil a Cinch with This Knowledge in Mind
Now that you know the legal side of buying cannabis oil online, you’ll have an easier time shopping for your needs. Just remember that not all cannabis oils are hemp-sourced, and that not all CBD oils may be legit to sell online.
Want to know the secrets to taking CBD oil and getting the most relief from your health conditions? Then this list is for you.