Is CBD Legal in Oregon?

by Kat Austin December 28, 2020 6 min read

Is CBD Legal in Oregon? - Vida Optima™

A map showing Oregon and surrounding states.

Oregon was one of the first states to legalize cannabis both for medical and recreational use, and continues to pioneer the CBD industry today. Of course, even states that were particularly quick to act on medical cannabis, like California, have various CBD restrictions you may not expect.

Is CBD legal in Oregon for everyone?

Or are there restrictions on who can buy and use CBD in the Beaver state?

Luckily, CBD is legal in Oregon, and the only real restrictions are on smokable CBD products.

Even so, you can likely access these CBD products in the state from legal vendors, but you’ll need to understand the gist of Oregon CBD laws to get started:

Table of Contents
Legal Concerns About CBD
What are the CBD laws in Oregon?
Is full spectrum CBD legal in Oregon?
Does Oregon have a CBD possession limit?
Do you need a prescription for CBD in Oregon?
Where to buy CBD in Oregon?
Do you have to be 21 to buy CBD in Oregon?
Is CBD legal in all 50 states?
Resources

Disclaimer: We’re always working to stay informed on the latest CBD laws and research. However, state laws are subject to change and we advise that you do your own research to verify the information you find in this article. This is not intended as legal advice.

Key Takeaways

Oregon is a CBD pioneer and CBD is legal in the state. There are very few restrictions on the types of CBD products that can be made, but laws about using CBD as a food additive are still hazy.

There are no age limits for buying CBD and you do not need a prescription. The exception is for smokable hemp flower or CBD vapes, where consumers need to be 21 or older to buy.

The state has relaxed hemp production laws and regulations, resulting in a bountiful hemp market. However, this lack of regulation may put consumers at risk of buying lower-quality formulas.

In order to ensure that the products you choose are safe and potent, you may consider shopping online. Many online CBD brands ship legal CBD products to Oregon to buyers aged 18 and up.

Legal Concerns About CBD

It’s true that CBD gained its federal legal status in 2018. The Hemp Farming Act effectively removed industrial hemp and its natural derivatives (like cannabinoids) from the Controlled Substances Act.

But there’s a catch, and it complicates things:

Legal CBD products must come from industrial hemp.

This classification is designated to hemp material that meets a strict set of standards. The most significant is that it contains less than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis. If CBD products are made from any cannabis strain that contains more than 0.3% THC, it is not a federally legal product.

That’s not all—

The final product must contain less than 0.3% THC, too.

That means that even if a brand starts with legal hemp material, they need to carry out careful manufacturing procedures to produce a legal end product. It’s possible for certain cannabinoids to be “concentrated” during the extraction process, leading to higher THC concentrations than in the original material. Proper manufacturing and careful testing need to be employed to avoid this issue.

Because there is very little regulation in the CBD industry, it’s important to evaluate a brand carefully before you buy. It can be hard to tell if a CBD product is made from a legal hemp source and meets the federal guidelines for legal hemp products. The best way to ensure that your CBD products are legal is by checking the third-party lab tests for cannabinoid potency.

Of course, these regulations only apply on a federal scale. You must also ensure that your products meet the standards laid out by federal guidelines and those set by your state.

Two CBD oil products, which are legal and accessible in the hemp-friendly state of Oregon

What are the CBD laws in Oregon?

Oregon was one of the first states to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes, and then also became one of the earliest states to legalize recreational cannabis in 2014. Thus, CBD from hemp and marijuana were both legal in the state prior to the 2018 Farm Bill.

Still, the state adopted its own hemp program, overseen by the Department of Agriculture. This program defines hemp in a similar manner to federal law, as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC by weight. It also lays the rules for the hemp market in the state, which is generally open and accessible.

In fact, Oregon has no bans on any type of CBD product. They also don't impose any age restrictions, except that consumers must be 21 or older to access smokable hemp or CBD vape products.

Thanks to these relaxed hemp production laws, Oregon has one of the most prominent CBD export markets in the state, alongside other hemp leaders like Kentucky, Virginia, and Colorado.

Is full spectrum CBD legal in Oregon?

It’s easy to assume that CBD isolate is legal in many places since it contains no THC, but many consumers are worried that the trace amounts of THC found in full-spectrum CBD products may cause trouble in states where cannabis is illegal. Luckily, Oregon has no laws restricting full spectrum CBD products that contain 0.3% THC or less.

Does Oregon have a CBD possession limit?

Oregon does not have any laws to restrict the amount of CBD products a person can possess at one time. Products that contain more than 0.3% THC are considered cannabis products, which are also legal in the state, but are subject to different restrictions and possession limits.

Do you need a prescription for CBD in Oregon?

No. You do not need a prescription to access hemp CBD products in Oregon. In fact, doctors typically cannot “prescribe” CBD products that are sold over the counter, rather they may “recommend” them. Even in states where medical marijuana is legal, access usually requires a doctor’s recommendation, not a prescription.

CBD is still new, and only one CBD product has been approved by the FDA to date. This product, GW Pharmaceuticals’ Epidiolex, is designed to treat rare forms of childhood epilepsy. Aside from this product (which comes with stringent usage guidelines), many doctors are still learning about CBD. If you’re interested in the benefits of CBD, you may need to spark a conversation with your doctor.

Where to buy CBD in Oregon?

Products like this CBD oil tincture may be easy to find in stores and online in Oregon

Oregon makes hemp agriculture accessible and has very few regulations regarding hemp processing in the state. That means that CBD products are likely easy to find in local grocery markets and convenience stores.

Of course, poor regulation often translates to consumer risk. It’s important to individually vet CBD brands before you buy, especially in Oregon.

Buying CBD online is a suitable option for most consumers. When you buy CBD online directly from the brand, you get better oversight of the brand’s manufacturing practices. Looking at the brand’s hemp source and lab testing procedures can help ensure that the CBD products you choose are clean, potent, and meet legal guidelines.

Buying CBD directly from a brand instead of from a third-party market may also be less costly since you won’t have to pay the extra fees that are often tacked on by the middle man. Of course, premium CBD can be expensive to manufacture, so you should also be wary of products that offer low-ball prices.

Finally, buying CBD online may be the best way to access many different types of CBD. The most common type of CBD product is an oil tincture, but you can find a variety of CBD edibles, topicals, and other specialty products when you shop online.

For more information on how to find high-quality CBD products, check out our CBD Buyer’s Guide.

Do you have to be 21 to buy CBD in Oregon?

In theory, CBD should be accessible to people of all ages, especially since it gained its popularity as a treatment for various childhood illnesses. Of course, some products may not be suitable for people of all ages, like smokable hemp flower or CBD vaporizers.

Still, the legal age to buy CBD is unclear, often on both the state and federal level. In Oregon, there are no laws to define the minimum age for buying most CBD products. Generally, the minimum age for purchase is decided by the vendor. The legal age for buying tobacco has been increased to 21, and it's possible that most CBD vendors will require buyers to meet this minimum age requirement as well.

However, the state of Oregon does require consumers to be 21 or older to purchase CBD vaporizer products or smokable hemp flower.

Many CBD brands allow customers who are 18 or older to order online and will ship legal CBD products to Oregon.

Is CBD legal in all 50 states?

Thanks to federal updates, CBD has the potential to be legal in every U.S. state. CBD is legal in Oregon, but every state has different regulations regarding the manufacture and sale of CBD. Click here to find out where CBD is legal.

Resources

  1. “Hemp Farming Act of 2018” https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5485
  2. “Oregon Department of Agriculture Hemp Programs” https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/hemp/pages/abouthemp.aspx
  3. “Defining Hemp: A Fact Sheet” https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44742.pdf

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