Is CBD Legal in Arizona?

Is CBD legal in Arizona? Can you buy CBD oil in Arizona? With all of the weird regulatory requirements for hemp and other cannabis-based products, learning about the laws in CBD in your state can be tough – and very confusing. Today, we’ll help you understand the AZ state laws better when it comes to cannabidiol (CBD), and other hemp-based goods. Let’s go over some more about Arizona CBD laws, and licensing requirements within AZ state.

TLDR: In the state of Arizona, CBD derived from hemp is completely legal. They follow same federal guidelines of the Farm Bill which specifies that CBD products are legal as long as they contain less than 0.3% THC content. CBD oil is legal in Arizona.

What is CBD?

CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive compound derived from cannabis. CBD is one of hundreds of different plant chemicals (cannabinoids) within this plant species.

Studies continue to show CBD may have a plethora of beneficial properties, with the most popular of these being: anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative,  pain relief, anti-seizure, and anxiety relief properties. In medical field studies, CBD has proved its worth in a large amount of trials that seem to be constantly growing. You can find CBD in a wide variety of products like: CBD gummies, balms, pills, and tinctures – to small a small fraction of the items out there on the market, today.

Before we go further, it is necessary to understand exactly what CBD is when looking into the laws within Arizona.

Hemp vs Marijuana

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a cannabis derivative. That doesn’t mean that it is the same as marijuana, though. It simply comes from a cannabis plant.

This is an important distinction to keep in mind. Both the industrial hemp plant and marijuana both fall under the cannabis plant species.

CBD is also a non-psychoactive cousin of THC, which means CBD cannot, and will not, get you high. As long as your CBD is hemp-based, or comes from the hemp plant, it will not contain an amount of THC over 0.3%.

Federal regulations on CBD currently require all CBD products to come from hemp in order to remain federally legal. A THC amount of 0.3% isn’t enough to get anyone high.

In fact, this amount is so low that one could drink an entire container of CBD oil (not recommended), and still not get high.

Supplementing with CBD oil is a great way to treat patients in a more natural way than other medications that have harsh side-effects. CBD oil research over the last few years is significant. Investments done in research and development are numerous.

The FDA is still figuring out their approval process for CBD, so until this is complete, CBD oil will not be able to achieve the status of a dietary supplement.

How Did the Farm Bill Help Industrial Hemp?

The 2018 Farm Bill brought a revolution for hemp and industrial hemp products. The cultivation of hemp became federally legal for recreational purposes when this was passed.

This bill specifically removed hemp, which is now legally defined as cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC by weight, from the schedule I list of controlled substances. As of the writing of this article, cannabis as a whole is now set to be voted on for removal from this same list.

Why is CBD Illegal in Some States But Not Others?

This is a tricky subject.

Let’s begin by addressing the fact that while CBD is federally legal, each state has its own laws. While most states have followed the Farm Bill of 2018 footsteps, and do not regulate finished CBD products.

This is the case in Arizona, where hemp byproducts have been reclassified as agricultural products separate from marijuana.

The Arizona Department of Agriculture identifies hemp as:

“Industrial hemp is defined as the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a Total Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of not more than three-tenths percent (0.3%) on a dry-weight basis. This includes the total calculable amount of the conversion of Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCA).”

The United States FDA and CBD Oil

The Food and Drug Administration has the authority of regulating CBD oil product labeling, monitoring therapeutic claims for CBD oil, and the usage of CBD for recreational and dietary purposes. The FDA, currently, does not allow the advertisement of hemp-derived CBD oil as a dietary supplement, or as an additive to food and beverages.

The FDA must authorize any health claims that CBD oil products make. No medications to date have received this designation, except for the pharmaceutical drug Epidiolex.

While the Food and Drug Administration maintained this stance for years, it has softened these regulations and is considering appropriate legislation around labeling CBD oil as a dietary supplement.

In addition, the Farm Bill has given the authority to states to allow or disallow the cultivation and business of CBD.

Let’s move on to CBD oil in Arizona, and talk about the legal status.

Is CBD Oil Legal in Arizona?

Yes, CBD products are legal in Arizona. They are a very CBD friendly state.

Arizona follows the same federal guidelines as the Farm Bill of 2018. If you want to buy CBD products in AZ, look for products that are derived from hemp and contain less than 0.3% THC content.

You’ll be good to go.

Licensing Requirements for CBD in AZ

Licenses for CBD products containing less than 0.3% THC are not needed, according to AZ state law. There is a need for licensing if you want to grow hemp, though.

It is illegal to cultivate hemp in your back yard or home in the state of Arizona, unless you possess a valid license and approval issued by the Arizona Department of Agriculture. This is their stance on growing hemp:

“…a person will only be allowed to grow and/or process industrial hemp for commercial or research purposes.”

Although hemp farming is legal in Arizona, growers must apply for licenses to be allowed to produce it.

Click here to apply for hemp licenses.

Arizona CBD Possession Limits

In Arizona, there are no CBD possession laws. Consumers are able to buy CBD items without a prescription, as long as the products contain less than the federally legal amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is 0.3%.

Where to Buy CBD Oil in Arizona

To be honest, CBD oil products (also known as hemp oil) are all over the place in Arizona. Consumers can buy CBD oil on the internet, and also find hemp derived CBD products from a variety of online stores, or brick and mortar retailers.

I want to caution you, though, to be extra careful when buying CBD oil online. New Phase Blends is a veteran owned and operated CBD company. We offer nothing but premium CBD oil that comes with a 30 day money back guarantee.

At least give us consideration before you purchase CBD products – I know you’ll be happy with your purchase.

In the summer of 2020, the FDA conducted a study on CBD products from different brands. It reported that roughly 25% of CBD products are either fake, under-dosed, or mislabeled. If you didn’t already know, CBD is expensive.

I would hate to see a bogus CBD oil company rip you off. Stick to New Phase Blends to be sure that you are buying 100% real, legitimate CBD. Also, we’ll give you a money back guarantee. Don’t like what you bought? Send it back within 30 days for all of your money back.

Summary – Is CBD Oil Legal in Arizona?

Yes, CBD oil products are completely legal in Arizona. They basically just follow the federal guidelines covered in the Farm Bill.

There are no weird grey areas or other strange laws that revolve around hemp, or hemp derived products.

If you are curious about federal guidelines for CBD products, take a look below:

• Hemp-derived CBD oil is legal
• It must contain less than 0.3% THC (a broad spectrum CBD oil will contain almost no THC, while full spectrums can contain up to 0.3% – FYI)
• I recommend that the CBD labels include a QR code that scans to a third-party lab result
• Marijuana-derived CBD is not legal

That about wraps up covering the legalities of CBD oil within Arizona.

References

Arizona Dept. of Agriculture: https://agriculture.az.gov/industrial-hemp-faq-page
Molecules Journal: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6514832/

Is CBD Oil Legal in the United States? A comprehensive, state by state legal guide by NPB.