How Old to Buy CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the hundreds of organic compounds obtained from the cannabis plant and is collectively called the cannabinoids.
The Cannabidiol (CBD) itself was discovered in the cannabis plant as far back as 1940 and has remained the town’s talk up until recent years.
The rapid commercialization of CBD by many companies has made it one of the United States’ fast-growing businesses. However, its widespread adoption is plagued by some misconceptions and controversies.
For example, many people always mistake CBD for its more psychoactive partner, the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). One of the most common controversies about CBD is the legality of using CBD in the United States.
Another concern about using CBD is safety because far too many Cannabidiol products have either been mislabeled or found to contain the wrong proportion of CBD.
This controversy has caused different laws to be enacted in the U. S, either approving or disapproving of CBD’s consumption.
This article sheds more light on the questions about the sale of CBD that may be bothering your mind.
Here, we would take a detailed look at the federal promulgations on the purchase of CBD and the specific age requirements you must satisfy before buying CBD products (hemp, marijuana, CBD oil, and gummies) in some selected states in the USA.
Towards the tail end of the article, we shall look at what happens when you fail to comply with these age requirements.
So keep reading to discover if you are legally ripe for purchasing and using CBD or not.
Table of Contents
What is the Minimum Age for Someone to Start Taking CBD?
It is no news that CBD, one of the natural extracts of marijuana, is discovered to provide solutions to many medical conditions.
Thus, even though it was deemed illegal to use CBD in many countries for important reasons, especially the United States, many people still deal with CBD for one reason.
Generally, there is no federal law in the U.S. that states the proper and legal age to purchase or use CBD.
However, each state/municipality has set guidelines to govern their indigenes and citizens on the appropriate age to use or buy this product. Thus, it is okay to say that the purchase of CBD depends on existing state laws.
And for online stores, there is little or no restriction on CBD purchase online. However, many CBD online sellers try their best to disclaim their website, thus restricting less than 18 years to stay away. The age requirement also varies: you have to be 18 years and above to buy CBD on some websites or 21 years.
You may also want to know if your parents can buy CBD products for you since you’re underage.
Well, the Food and Drug Administration allows that. And there is no legal restriction that says a parent cannot buy CBD/CBD products for their kid’s treatment since there are CBD products developed specifically for children and pets.
So, If you think your kid needs a CBD product to manage a critical condition, you can go ahead to purchase it as a parent at any drug shop. It is entirely legal, provided you do not go to a smoke shop.
Do I Need to Be 18 to Buy CBD?
Although people of all ages buy CBD, reports show that a significant number of people looking to buy CBD are within the ages of 16 to 21. This implies a high concentration of the demand for CBD drugs and products among young people.
This begs the question: what does the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say about buying and using this drug?
After taking a sneak peek into the federal laws governing the sale and use of drugs, we discover that you must be at least 18 years of age to purchase CBD products, whether you want to order online or buy at a drug shop.
Government agencies frown at the illegal purchase of this product. Thus, shops and online platforms are not allowed to sell CBD products to minors.
As a result of the set laws, you will likely be asked for your age when you visit a drug shop to buy CBD.
To clear all doubts, you need to be at least 18 years of age before buying CBD products as they are not sold to underage buyers.
However, before visiting a drug shop, let us quickly mention that attaining 18 is only a prerequisite for buying CBD in most U.S. states. Some states like Illinois still expect that you are at least 21 before you can buy CBD.
So we implore you to read to the end to catch the full gist.
Can You Buy CBD If You are 18?
At 18 years, an American citizen is classified as an adult, which means you have the liberty to do quite some things you would usually be restricted from doing as a minor.
At 18, you can be appropriately tried for offenses by a court; you can own a driver’s license, and you can do quite a lot of other things.
Speaking of buying Cannabidiol (CBD) products, like CBD oil, not every 18-year-old American citizen is eligible to do so.
Therefore, we advise that you review the laws governing the sale of such products in your state thoroughly when considering whether it is legal or illegal to buy CBD at the age of 18.
Otherwise, you can also seek medical advice on what is best to do in such situations. Most doctors know much about the legal usage of CBD in different states.
I know what you’re thinking right now. Oh, I am 18 and still can’t purchase CBD legally; how hard can it get?
Take a chill pill; buying CBD is not as complicated as a space project; it is pretty simple.
All you need is to understand that there are no explicit federal laws regarding the minimum age requirements for the sale of CBD, which implies each state makes its law.
On a general note, If you observe each country’s legal rules, you will discover that quite a lot of permits the use of CBD. For those that allow for the public sale of CBD and its products (CBD oil, pastries, gummies, and others), the minimum age requirement could be 18.
This means that in most countries, even though there are measures in place to confirm the age of buyers before buying these substances, shops and dispensaries will most likely sell CBD products to people from the age of 18.
In a similar vein, online retailers will also put measures in place to ascertain the buyer’s age, although some retailers will not sell CBD products to buyers who are below 21 years of age.
Therefore, being 18 years old is not a guarantee that you can buy CBD.
Let’s take a look at the age requirements for buying CBD-related products in popular U.S. states like Illinois, California, and New York.
Do You Have to Be 21 to Buy CBD in Illinois?
Illinois is one of the most liberal states in the U.S. It also takes pride as one of the premier states where Roger Adams discovered CBD in the 18th century.
As a result, Illinois law is among the numerous state laws in the U.S., which allowed the trade of medically-inclined marijuana and now recreational marijuana (THC).
Therefore, taking CBD is legal in this state as long as you don’t smoke pot in a public place.
Generally, you have to be at least over 21 years of age to buy CBD in Illinois. However, several other regulations talk about the age limit for the purchase of CBD. If you are a certified resident in Illinois, you can get Marijuana-based CBD at age 18 using your patient card.
To get that certification, you need to do the following:
- Visit a doctor with whom you have a good relationship with for medical advice, get a signed certification from them, and you are good to go.
- After the initial step, you can fill your application online and get a medical cannabis card.
Is there an age limit for buying products containing CBD in California?
As the years go by, many entrepreneurs and private organizations began to develop an interest in the hemp industry, which has led to the establishment of several hemp companies in many U.S. states.
California is among the first few states to completely legalize the use and purchase of hemp-related products ahead of the others.
So, Whether you’re into recreational or medicinal Cannabis, the state of California allows you to grow, trade, and purchase any form of Cannabis. Thus, many cannabis products have been produced in the state, including edibles and CBD oil, to better people’s lives.
Since California is so supportive of the cannabis industry, it is no surprise that many of the emails we get regarding the legal age for buying CBD products come from there. And herein, we shall answer the age requirement for buying CBD in California once and for all.
Speaking about the age requirement for purchasing products containing CBD in California, I will tell you that no active law hinders minors (below the age of 18) from purchasing cannabis products (CBD). That’s some good news right there, but that is not all.
The typical age for purchasing cannabis products is always dependent on the smoke shops, cannabis vendors, or dispensaries you decide to buy from. This is because every cannabis-related establishment has laid down regulations to manage the act and responsibility of their customers.
Generally, in most shops, you need to be above 18 before purchasing any CBD product. This is also practical with other cannabis products, like THC. Most vendors also request to know your identity before selling you the product to ensure that you are not below 18 years.
There are some specific cannabis types that a vendor will not want to sell to someone below 21 years because of their high concentration and effect, like THC.
What are The Age Restrictions on CBD Purchase in Texas?
Texas is one of the few states in the U.S. that joined the hemp movement late. Up until 2015, the growing and purchasing of any hemp product were considered illegal and punishable under the law. And individuals caught in possession of marijuana will serve six months in prison. Still, in 2015, a bill was passed to legalize marijuana, but it wasn’t successful.
In recent times, Texas has limited the purchase and use of marijuana to medical help, all thanks to Governor Greg Abbott in the Texas Compassionate Use Act.
Because of the strict regulations guiding the use of marijuana in the state, you have to satisfy some requirements before you can use marijuana.
Some of the requirements include:
- The marijuana product must contain low THC, not more than 0.5% by weight.
- It must contain not less than 10% by weight of CBD.
- It would be best to have any of the following medical conditions to qualify: epilepsy, cancer, spasticity, multiple sclerosis, autism, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
- It is only available for legal residents of Texas.
- You must also have a recommendation from two certified medical practitioners.
- Note that THC is primarily prohibited in other states.
Now that we have established the law governing marijuana in Texas, we can go ahead to discuss the age restrictions.
In the state law, it was clearly stated that there is an age limit to which individuals can purchase and use CBD in Texas.
The conventional age at which you are qualified to buy CBD or any hemp-related product is between 18 and 21 years. Anyone below 18 is usually referred to as a minor. Many websites will ask if you are above 18 or 21 years before buying their products.
At what age can you buy CBD in New York?
In all 33 states, New York has one of the most reputable conditions for growing, providing, and making available cannabis products to those in need.
New York has legalized the use of medical marijuana for about six years now. They saw the light earlier than most states because they have a concise understanding of CBD’s health benefits and its products.
Unlike some states like Illinois, you don’t need a medical marijuana card before purchasing CBD products in New York. If caught in possession of marijuana, not more than 25 grams, you are safe. However, on a second note, the purchase of CBD oil is legal irrespective of the amount.
The state law is still undergoing some reformation to ensure that everyone is accommodated accordingly. The legal age to purchase CBD in New York is 21. However, this legal age limit varies with different vendors.
Some vendors or dispensaries will sell CBD to individuals from 18-21 years. You may need to produce a medical marijuana card to purchase some cannabis products depending on those products’ constituents.
How Old Do You Have to Be to buy CBD GUMMIES?
Cannabidiol comes in different forms, one of which is edibles, a form of CBD that can be ingested orally.
CBD gummies are edibles or food products containing CBD. So we can call them CBD products. CBD gummies are also a subset of medically inclined marijuana products discovered to treat many medical conditions such as neuropathic pain, inflammation, and so on.
Most CBD companies put an age restriction on individuals who can purchase CBD gummies from them to help regulate the purchase and distribution of marijuana products in the U.S.
Usually, you have to be up to 21 years to visit a marijuana dispensary for any recreational or medical purposes.
The regulation is also dependent on the dispensary; however, many dispensaries allow people who are 18+ to purchase and use CBD gummies or any other CBD product.
I would comment that the regulations are necessary because anyone can buy CBD gummies online using other means. A 16-year old can go online and purchase a CBD product because there are no measures to verify the buyer’s age. This is only feasible in land-based dispensaries.
So, to answer the question, ‘how old do you have to be to buy CBD gummies?‘, the answer is 21 years, but it varies depending on the vendor and law of the state. The most important rules are directed at the other marijuana extract referred to as recreational marijuana (THC).
You might be interested in reading this article
What are the implications of not meeting the age requirements?
We know that it is not legal for CBD companies to distribute legal products like CBD oil or gummies to underage buyers.
As a result, most dispensaries and online platforms will confirm your age before allowing you to buy from them. Most times, adults are the ones who purchase these products for them, and the sanctions are more peculiar to adults.
For the state of Washington, any adult that buys recreational marijuana (THC) for a minor will be charged with a felony by a federal court. Such a fellow could serve a jail term of more than one year.
Any facility for recreational marijuana (THC) that allows minors will be fined, and such shops could be suspended.
Another penalty for buying CBD products illegally is that anyone who sells Cannabidiol (CBD) or THC to a minor will serve a jail term of ten (10) years for a felony in Hawaii. These laws also apply to the states of Oregon and Colorado.
On a final note, It is difficult to know precisely what every state law says about the precaution to take when selling these substances to minors, but it is better and much safer not to sell them.
Conclusion
It is no news that Cannabis has been discovered to provide many health-related benefits to ailments like cancer, epilepsy, depression, anxiety, brain disorders, and so on.
However, due to the tendency to abuse marijuana-related products (mostly THC), certain restrictions, laws, and regulations have been put to maintain balance and order in each state or country.
The commonest one of the laws is that the legal age for buying CBD-related products is between 18+ and 21+, but medical advice from a trusted doctor always helps as they know better.
We hope that this article on the legal age to buy CBD-related products was very useful. Thanks for reading.
You might also interested in
