Is Hemp Legal?
CBD products are more common than ever. Specialty CBD shops have sprung up offering all kinds of products, like CBD gummies, tinctures, concentrates, and more! However, something that may be a bit more jarring to see in these head shops is raw hemp. It looks like marijuana and it smells like marijuana, so you may be wondering if hemp is legal. Let’s take a look!
Is Hemp Legal?
Yes! After the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law, it effectively made hemp legal nationwide. In fact, this is one of the major factors of the explosion of CBD products in recent years, since CBD is largely derived from hemp. While it may seem odd to be able to casually walk out of a store with it, we assure you that it is 100% legal to buy and have possession of. Many who enjoy the benefits of CBD opt to use a vape pen or smoke hemp because it is significantly less expensive than processed forms of CBD, like edibles or tinctures.
However, when you buy hemp, you do need to exercise caution. Just like how you may not be able to tell the difference between hemp (which is legal) and marijuana (which definitely is not in most states), cops likely will have a hard time differentiating them, too. Hemp is always sold in clearly marked packaging that identifies itself has legal hemp, so hemp should always be transported and stored in these labeled containers to avoid confusion with the law.
Will Hemp Get Me High?
Hemp will not get you high, which is one of the major factors that prompted its legalization. The psychoactive component in cannabis that gives the traditional high (THC) is present in hemp in only trace amounts (legally it has to be less than %0.03 total THC). Hemp cannot get you high, though there are other mild side-effects you should consider, especially if you plan to smoke or dry herb vape hemp in the morning. Smoking or vaping hemp can cause drowsiness, irritability, and gastric distress, especially if you are new to using it and you use too much. We recommend starting with a small amount and vaping or smoking it at night, and then working your way up to higher doses until you you know for sure what effects the hemp will have on you.