CBD In Ohio

2023 Ohio CBD Buyers Guide

More and more CBD-infused products are being released each day. CBD can now be found at local stores in a vast array of oils, tinctures, concentrate, capsules, topical solutions, lip balms, lotions, and edibles of all ilk. All totaled, consumers spent about $3.5 billion on CBD products last year.

Yes, you can buy hemp based CBD products in Ohio, although purchasing marijuana-derived oils is a little trickier.

This 2023 Ohio CBD Buyers Guide covers Ohio hemp and CBD laws as well as answer some of the more frequently asked questions such as: is CBD oil legal in Ohio? What is Delta 8 THC? Can you legally grow hemp in Ohio? Can you make your own CBD oil? And can anyone in Ohio sell CBD? Let’s get it rolling.

When Hemp Came to Ohio

In the summer of 2019, out in the back of the Ohio Department of Agriculture campus in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, about 15 miles east of Columbus, agency officials planted some hemp clones. To be exact, one hundred clones of CBD-rich strains of hemp were planted. What’s interesting about this is that these were the first hemp plants to be legally cultivated in Ohio in decades. 

Before the US federal government banned cannabis in 1937, Ohio farmers were growing thousands of acres of hemp. Although hemp prohibition was lifted briefly during World War II it was short-lived.

But now, seven decades later, hemp is again growing in the Buckeye State.

The ODA planting stemmed from the July 2019 passage and signing of Ohio Senate Bill 57. The measure officially legalized the cultivation of non-intoxicating strains of cannabis (aka hemp) as well as the production and sale of CBD oil produced from hemp. 

Before SB57, hemp and CBD were lumped together with marijuana. Therefore their purchase and use were only allowed by card-carrying medical marijuana patients. Under the new laws, however, hemp-derived CBD products immediately became legal for all Ohioans — not just medical marijuana patients. 

Ohio’s Department of Agriculture was tasked with creating rules and regulations for hemp cultivation and processing. 

According to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Kyle Koehler, there are three main regulations that the state has to include: 

  1. Hemp must contain less than 0.3 percent THC.
  2. The Ohio Department of Agriculture must track all hemp being grown in the state.
  3. All hemp growers must be licensed through the Department of Agriculture.
 
Under the new hemp regulations, all hemp and CBD products are required to undergo lab testing to assure they fall within the legal level of less than 0.3 percent THC. Furthermore, products will be tested to assure that the amount of CBD claimed on the label is the amount of CBD actually in the product.

Is Delta 8 THC Legal in Ohio?

Furthering the evolution of the growing CBD market is a relatively new product called delta-8 THC. Until recently, not many people ever heard of delta-8 THC. This is essentially a cannabinoid that is similar to the familiar buzz-inducing delta-9 THC except that it’s produced directly from hemp CBD rather than from marijuana. Delta-8 is less intoxicating and less likely to cause feelings of paranoia than the THC found in marijuana. Nonetheless, it does have some intoxicating properties.

Because it’s a form of tetrahydrocannabinol that has mild psychotropic effects, Delta-8 falls into a gray area of CBD laws. Several U.S. states don’t seem to be too concerned with D8, some have regulated or banned it and lawmakers in some other states are looking into doing the same.

Oh hemp CBD FAQ | 2023

Is CBD oil is legal in Ohio?

The new hemp and CBD law only legalized CBD oil derived from hemp. The definition of hemp as compared to marijuana is that hemp must contain less than 0.3 percent THC. THC is the compound produced in marijuana that’s responsible for the high. CBD oil made from marijuana, aka cannabis oil, is only legal within Ohio’s medical marijuana program, even if it does not contain THC.

Do doctors in Ohio prescribe CBD?

CBD is used to treat a wide array of medical conditions. In addition to acting as a supplemental cannabinoid that interacts with the human endocannabinoid system or ECS, CBD also protects the brain and central nervous system from damage and can act as an antioxidant, antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory agent.

Because CBD oil is not an FDA approved drug, doctors in Ohio are not permitted to prescribe CBD products. The only exception to this rule is a drug called Epidiolex, manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, which is essentially pure CBD. Doctors are permitted to prescribe Epidiolex to children suffering from certain intractable forms of epilepsy. 

Although Ohio MMJ doctors are not permitted to prescribe CBD oil as they are with pharmaceuticals, they are permitted to recommend CBD oil and THC products to patients they feel can benefit from its use. After visiting the doctor if you have a qualifying condition, you will receive your Medical Marijuana Card from the state.

What medical conditions are being treated with CBD oil in Ohio?

Ohioans are using CBD oil to treat a wide array of medical conditions. Certain conditions make patients eligible to receive a medical marijuana card. However, if a patient chooses not to use products containing THC, then a medical marijuana card is not necessary. 

Medical conditions being treated with CBD:

Where Can I buy CBD products in Ohio?

There are numerous shops in the state selling imported CBD products, especially in larger cities such as Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, and Toledo. If you want to completely avoid the chance of being pulled over on the way home and hassled for possessing CBD products made from hemp, it’s recommended that you purchase them online and get them delivered right to your doorstep. The websites below list or sell CBD oil and CBD-infused edibles, topicals, and vape oils.

What hemp CBD products are available?

The only CBD products that are restricted in Ohio are smokable forms produced by licensed marijuana growers. This includes dried flower, concentrates such as wax, hash, etc.

Where can I legally purchase CBD oil in Ohio?

So, great, CBD oil is now legal, but where can you buy CBD oil in Ohio? That depends. If you’re looking for cannabis oil, the stuff produced from marijuana, regardless of whether or not it contains THC, you have to have an Ohio medical marijuana card and purchase your medicine at a licensed dispensary. 

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in Ohio

However, if you are shopping for CBD-rich hemp oil or other CBD-infused products produced from hemp, you’ll find that the number of retail outlets that carry hemp CBD oil is growing in leaps and bounds. Although technically, retailers are not supposed to be selling these products until the rules are worked out, possession of CBD products is not illegal.

Most of the brick-and-mortar stores that sell CBD oil and other CBD products are located in the larger cities in Ohio such as Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, and Toledo.

Can I legally grow hemp for CBD in Ohio?

Although the state has decriminalized hemp and has set the ball rolling for the development of cultivation and processing regulations, not just anyone is going to be allowed to grow hemp. Farmers will have to obtain a license from the state.

Many Ohio farmers are concerned that the state’s proposed hemp production rules are too restrictive and may exclude smaller farmers. For starters, as it currently stands, farmers will be required to plant at least 1,000 plants or to plant at least a quarter acre. However, officials have said that the proposed rules do give wiggle room for farmers with slightly less than a quarter acre or those who plant slightly less than 1,000 plants — but not much.

Can I legally sell CBD in Ohio?

It is legal to sell properly inspected CBD products in Ohio outside of state-licensed dispensaries — the key phrase here being “properly inspected.”  This refers to the fact that the Ohio Department of Agriculture will be testing all CBD products produced within the state for safety and accurate labeling. What this means is that products imported from other states might still be technically illegal to sell.

However, as we all know the fact that CBD oil has been illegal up until recently has not dissuaded retailers in the state from selling CBD products. Nor has the FDA’s stance of no CBD in foods been enforced. Although it looks unlikely that Ohio officials will clamp down on imported CBD products and CBD edibles, anyone considering selling these products really needs to do some homework, talk to a lawyer, and keep up on the developing regulations.

Scroll to Top