Countries where CBD is legal:
United States:
As of 2021, cannabidiol extracted from marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance and is not approved or permitted for interstate commerce in the United States as a prescription drug or dietary supplement. CBD derived from hemp (with 0.3% THC or less) is not regulated by the FDA as a cosmetic ingredient or for other purposes, but is legal under federal law to be sold in food, dietary supplements, or animal feed cannot be sold as an ingredient. It is a common misconception that the legal ability to sell cannabis (which may contain CBD) and cannabis extracts and derivatives (including CBD) makes CBD legal for sale as a supplement or drug. One can easily get the cbd hemp oil, best cbd gummies for pain, and best cbd capsules for pain from stores.
In September 2018, the GW Pharmaceuticals drug Epidiolex was rescheduled (by the Drug Enforcement Administration) to allow its prescription use as a Schedule V drug, following its approval by the FDA for a rare type of childhood epilepsy. Epidiolex still requires rescheduling in some states before it can be prescribed in those states. In 2013, a CNN program showcasing Charlotte’s Web cannabis drew attention to the use of CBD in the treatment of seizure disorders.
Laws related to CBD:
Since then, 16 states have passed laws allowing the use of CBD products with a physician’s recommendation (rather than a prescription) for the treatment of certain medical conditions. This is in addition to the 30 states that have passed comprehensive medical cannabis laws that allow the use of cannabis products without any restrictions on THC content. Eight of these 30 states have legalized the use and sale of cannabis products without a prescription.
As of October 2020, CBD was not an FDA-approved drug for interstate commerce, and the FDA encouraged manufacturers to follow procedures for drug approval. Federal illegality has historically made it difficult to research CBD. Cannabidiol is currently the subject of FDA exploratory new drug evaluation, and as of October 2020, it is no longer considered legal as a dietary supplement or food ingredient. CBD is sold openly in major stores and health food stores in some states where such sales have not been explicitly legalized.
State and local governments may also regulate cannabidiol. For example, the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources issued a regulation in June 2019 aligning state CBD regulations with FDA regulations.
