Navigating the legal landscape of CBD purchases can be confusing for consumers of all ages. Whether you’re a young adult curious about trying CBD products or a parent wondering about age restrictions for your teen, understanding the minimum age requirements for buying CBD oil or CBD gummies is essential. These requirements vary significantly depending on your location, the type of CBD product, and its THC content.
This comprehensive guide explores the legal age to purchase CBD oil across different states and countries, explains why these restrictions exist, and provides clarity on the often misunderstood differences between hemp-derived CBD and marijuana-derived products that influence age requirements.
CBD Age Requirements – Most states require you to be 18 years of age or older to buy CBD oil, CBD gummies, and other CBD products. A select few require the minimum age to be 21.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Buy CBD Oil?
So, how old do you have to be to buy CBD? Depending on where you live, you must be at least 18 to buy CBD products. Some states have made it so you must be at least 21 to meet the minimum age requirement for buyers of CBD.
Why is there an age limit?
That answer to that question is more complicated. In those states and areas where the attitude toward CBD is negative and/or the age restrictions are higher, the concern is really about THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), not cannabidiol.
THC is the part of the cannabis plant that allows users to get “high.” It has been confused with CBD for the last century, up until 2018. In 2018, the Farm Bill was issued by the federal government which distinguished everything in cannabis from THC. Everything used to be lumped together, and was considered a controlled substance. Now, the only controlled substance in cannabis is THC, and derivatives of THC – nothing else.
Marijuana Derived CBD Age Restriction
CBD sales have different requirements from marijuana sales. Now that you know marijuana derived CBD is different, it’s important to know that you don’t accidentally buy it. If marijuana-derived CBD products are legal in your state, you must be at least 21 years old to buy them. Not all states have legalized marijuana. Those that have not usually have some sort of compassionate care program (medical marijuana program) to help people get medically prescribed marijuana products. Look for your state’s program to learn more. Federal law lists THC as a controlled substance.
Hemp Derived CBD vs. Marijuana Derived CBD
Most people do not know that both industrial hemp and marijuana make up the species of the cannabis plant. CBD sales allow for both of these plants can be used to make CBD products, but there is a big difference in the end result.
While marijuana derived CBD products are a heavily controlled substance due to its’ ability to intoxicate people, hemp derived CBD extract are legal and normally have a CBD age limit requirement of 18. CBD cannot get you high – at all. This is why CBD legal restrictions are a bit lighter.
Marijuana derived CBD products can have massive amounts of THC (in excess of 30% or more). Industrial hemp CBD products, according to federal law, must have a THC content of 0.3% or less to remain legal.
CBD age requirements exist solely because of the associated amounts of THC in a CBD product, even though CBD oils will have no where near enough THC to get anyone even remotely high.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Purchase CBD?
You must be at least 18 years of age to purchase CBD in a vast majority of states. Some states require you to be 21 years old to purchase CBD products.
The first thing you’ll begin to notice when purchasing CBD oil products is that each state has their own age laws surrounding both industrial hemp production and hemp derived CBD products. Specifically, most states have a minimum legal age requirement of 18 to buy CBD products, while others specify you must be at least 21 as the minimum age.
Keep in mind, there’s no federal law to govern how hold you need to be to buy CBD products.
As you can imagine, this has produced all sorts of problems in states that CBD legalization and rollouts have happened in. Since becoming legal, most states have simply adopted their own version of the Farm Bill. A select few states still have not. Check out the link above to see a state by state listing on up-to-date CBD laws. Make sure it is legal in your state before you purchase CBD.
CBD Age Requirements
CBD age requirements are a tricky area. This concern has led to some interesting hairsplitting when it comes to how CBD products are classified. Plants with 0.3 percent or less THC are classified as “hemp,” and the industrial farming of hemp is legal across the board, based on a federal laws that were passed in 2018.
This law is known as the Farm Bill of 2018, or the Agricultural Improvement Act – they are the same piece of legislation. This law legalized hemp and hemp derived CBD products.
The interesting thing is, this law put not CBD age limit requirements into place into its’ CBD laws. The age to buy CBD has been made up by each individual state.
Products with a larger percentage of THC are legally known as marijuana, which has a long and checkered history as a “drug.”
CBD is a cannabinoid from the hemp plant that provides a number of benefits having to do with relaxation, reducing inflammation, dealing with chronic pain and many other areas that are still being explored.
There are many people in the CBD industry who believe that there should be fewer age restrictions on who can buy hemp derived CBD products and use them. After all, age restrictions are usually placed on items that give off intoxicating effects, or items that are bad for your health.
Cannabidiol (CBD) doesn’t do either of things things. Should buying CBD edibles really require a law on purchasing CBD at a certain age? I certainly think not.
How Old Do You Need to Be to Buy CBD Gummies?
Are there age restrictions on CBD gummies? How old do you need to be to buy CBD gummies? Again, you must be at least 18 years old. However, it might seem strange that there is actually a way that children under the age of 18 can use CBD, despite the CBD age restrictions.
It’s common for parents to purchase CBD for their kids, since their kids aren’t of legal age to buy CBD. The other way revolves around seeking a prescription for CBD.
CBD can be an effective component in the treatment of things like seizures, autism, ADHD and other similar issues in children. The more healthcare practitioners learn about the health benefits of CBD, the more they will prescribe it.
The one specific drug with CBD that has been approved for use in children is Epidiolex, which is used to treat seizures for certain types in people that suffer from forms epilepsy.
The Food and Drug Administration has passed a law that this drug can be prescribed to any child over the age of one, as long as it is prescribed by a doctor, and purchased by the parents of the child under the age of 18. Now days, people don’t have to seek a prescription for CBD. They can enjoy the benefits of CBD gummies by purchasing from a trusted CBD store.
Do You Have to Be 18 to Buy CBD?
Yes, you must be at least 18 to purchase CBD products. This is typically the case, but each state can hold different laws in regards to CBD age limit requirements. I would be surprised if someone turned an 18 year old away for attempting to get CBD items, though. To be honest, since CBD is non-intoxicating and non-addictive, I’m surprised there is a legal age at all, but that’s a whole different story.
Summary – Age Restrictions For Purchasing CBD
A vast majority of states allow the purchase of CBD oils that comes from hemp, but you must be at least 18 to buy CBD. Some states require you to be 21 or older.
To be safe, look up your state’s legal minimum age requirements for CBD users, and use that as your baseline guide, especially if you’re in that gray area between 18 and 21.
The way we see it here at New Phase Blends, is if you’re going to use something that has an age restriction associated with it, you should probably fully understand that laws around that substance.
Also, keep in mind that a CBD product is considered legal as long as there is 0.3 THC percentage, or less, in the CBD product. This is a law at the federal level. Make sure you double check this before you buy CBD products online, or in person.
If you’re younger than 18, wait until you’re of age, but if you’re over 21, feel free to experience the relief that things like CBD gummies, CBD topicals, or other federally legal CBD products can bring. You might be extremely surprised at the results.
