Is CBD Legal in Ohio? OH Hemp Laws (2023)

CBD oil is legal in Ohio, but only those derived from hemp. Also, the THC content of the products is set to a 0.3% cutoff limit. It is then important to carefully check the CBD products you purchase to avoid legal troubles.

The Ohio bill on CBD oil requires conditions to be fulfilled to make it a legal buy. You must be fully informed of this law to buy CBD oil in Ohio without hassle.

In this article, we cover the Ohio laws surrounding cannabis and provide an all-around guide to finding quality products in the state, whether you decide to shop online or locally.

Is CBD Oil Legal in Ohio?

Yes. The state of Ohio accepts hemp-derived CBD oil under the new federal law, but marijuana and its derivatives are prohibited for recreational use. Only qualifying patients can obtain marijuana-derived CBD.

Why does the state of Ohio have different laws for hemp and marijuana?

Despite sharing the same parent plant, hemp and marijuana have different ratios between the major cannabinoids: CBD and THC.

Hemp is naturally high in CBD and contains only a trace amount of THC (up to 0.3%), so products made from this type of cannabis won’t make you feel high.

Marijuana, on the other hand, is higher in THC and its CBD content varies by strain. CBD oils from marijuana can get the user high and are treated differently by Ohio law.

Related: States Where CBD Is Legal

Here’s how the state of Ohio perceives both sources of CBD.

Marijuana CBD Oil in Ohio

Ohio has decriminalized marijuana for recreational use, so you won’t face criminal charges for possession. However, residents of Ohio have yet to wait for legalization.

Getting caught with 100 grams of marijuana or less is a misdemeanor that can get you a mere fine of approximately $150 if that’s your first offense. If you get busted with amounts between 100 grams and 200 grams, you can face criminal charges involving 30 days in jail and a fine of $250.

Still, penalties for possession are very light compared with states like Georgia or Texas.

Can Doctors Prescribe CBD Oil in Ohio?

Yes! If you’re a resident of Ohio, you have the right to buy marijuana-derived CBD oil if you can provide a written recommendation from your doctor. The new law was introduced with House Bill 523, which legalized marijuana on September 8, 2016.

However, state law only allows non-smokable forms of marijuana, so you can only purchase CBD oils, vape juices, and marijuana patches.

You can ask a doctor for a medical marijuana recommendation if you have one of the following conditions:

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Cancer
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• Chronic or severe pain
• Crohn’s disease
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• HIV/AIDS
• Fibromyalgia pain
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Sickle cell anemia
• Spinal cord injuries (Spinal Stenosis)
• Tourette’s syndrome
• Traumatic brain injury
• Ulcerative colitis

What about those without prescriptions? Does Ohio have any options for healthy people who just want to use CBD oil for supplementation?

Hemp CBD Oil in Ohio

Although CBD oil from hemp is considered legal in Ohio, the exact regulations are a bit murky.

Under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp is no longer considered a controlled substance. It’s an agricultural commodity like any other crop that can be freely grown across the United States.

Hemp can be used for clothing, paper, fuel, food, and health supplements such as CBD oil.

However, there’s a catch created by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. The board has recently banned stores other than state-licensed marijuana dispensaries from selling any cannabis-derived products.

Simply put, cape shops, food stores, and head shops can’t legally sell CBD if they want to comply with Ihio’s law. Some of those stores gave up on stocking CBD, while others continue to sell it.

Before we point you in the right direction for the best deals on CBD oil in Ohio, let’s talk about potential quality issues and how to avoid them in an unregulated market like CBD.

CBD Oil in Ohio: Best Brands & Products

1. Royal CBD (Editor’s Pick)

Get 15% off all Royal CBD products. Use code “CFAH” at checkout.

Product Details

About Royal CBD

Based in California, Royal CBD is a company that specializes in making premium CBD extracts in traditional forms. The brand offers full-spectrum CBD oil, soft gels, THC-free gummies, and two types of broad-spectrum topicals: warming salve and cooling menthol gel. The guys at Royal CBD began their journey with CBD from the customer’s perspective, striving to leverage the manufacturing standards for CBD oils since day one of their commercial activity.

The hemp used by Royal CBD comes from organic farms in Colorado, where the plants are grown in open-air farms without pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. The company makes its line of CBD oils using CO2 extraction to ensure consistent potency and the highest purity levels.

Royal CBD oil has four strengths, including 250 mg, 500 mg, 1000 mg, and 2500 mg. The strongest bottle packs a massive dose of 83.3 mg CBD in each milliliter. This company has a great product selection for both beginner and experienced customers. These oils contain the full spectrum of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids to leverage the concept of the “entourage effect” (more on that later in the article).

All Royal CBD products are rigorously tested in a certified laboratory for their CBD content and safety profile. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is a sign that the guys at Royal CBD are confident about the quality of their products.

Royal CBD ships to all 50 states.

2. Gold Bee (Runner-Up)

Product Details

About Gold Bee

Gold Bee is another premium brand from California. It offers full-spectrum CBD oil, soft gels, and broad-spectrum gummies. The brand sells its CBD oil in a unique honey flavor, which is surprisingly natural and does a great job at masking the earthy aftertaste of natural CBD oil. Gold Bee uses Colorado-grown hemp, just like Royal CBD.

The company sells CBD oil in three potency options: 300 mg, 600 mg, and 1200 mg. These products are a good choice for new users and those who already have some experience with CBD, but their daily doses stay within the 30–40 mg range. Gold Bee uses full-spectrum extracts in their oils; they contain non-psychoactive cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and trace amounts of THC (less than 0.3%), so you’re getting more valuable compounds than you would with an isolate-based product. Full-spectrum extracts have shown higher efficacy than isolates and broad-spectrum products in inflammation, pain, and seizure studies.

How to Find Quality CBD Products in Ohio?

The production of CBD oil isn’t regulated by any government agency, so some companies are very liberal when it comes to labeling, often selling products that contain far less CBD than advertised. Some of those products are downright dangerous.

Don’t worry, you can follow certain steps to avoid poor decisions.

Here’s how to make sure you spend your money the right way:

• Only purchase from companies that test their products in third-party laboratories: Outside labs can tell you if the potency of CBD matches the one advertised on the bottle. They can also detect unwanted additives, such as pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and other contaminants.

• Choose CO2-extracted CBD: CO2 extraction is by far the safest and most effective method for making CBD oil. This technology doesn’t involve additional heat or solvents, so it can slowly extract CBD and other beneficial compounds from the source plant without destroying them.

• Full-spectrum CBD is generally better than CBD isolate: Full-spectrum means that the product was made using the whole hemp plant, containing all beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. These compounds help the body process CBD more efficiently, allowing lower doses to remain effective. If you’re not tested for THC at work, we recommend sticking to full-spectrum extracts rather than isolates.

• Organic hemp is the best source of CBD oil: If your hemp is organic, it has been cultivated under natural sunlight, in clean soil, and without pesticides, fertilizers, or growth boosters. Growing conditions are extremely important for the quality of CBD extracts. Organic hemp yields CBD-rich flowers and makes for a perfect sourcing material.

• Avoid companies claiming that CBD can cure anything: CBD is a versatile compound that can do wonders for your quality of life, but it won’t cure any medical conditions. Companies claiming that their products cure cancer or something similarly outrageous is companies you should avoid.

Following these steps will save you time and money. Speaking of which, if you’re not ready to commit on the first date, you can look for companies offering a money-back guarantee on their products.

Where to Buy CBD Oil in Ohio

As you can see, CBD laws in Ohio are foggy, and shopping for CBD locally can be risky if you want a quality product. Although the state has decided to enforce the provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, it excluded the vast majority of stores from the list of eligible retailers. Currently, hemp-derived CBD oil is available in licensed cannabis dispensaries, which are unavailable to recreational users.

Therefore, your best chance of getting high-quality CBD oil in Ohio is through a reliable online retailer.

Benefits of Buying CBD Online

Online stores usually have a better product selection than in-store vendors. You can choose from products like tinctures, capsules, edibles, creams, concentrates, vape liquid, and even pet products. It would be difficult to find all these formats in a local store. Most physical stores offer one or two types of CBD.

Shopping for CBD online gives you access to important information about the company, such as the source of their hemp, extraction methods, third-party testing, and more. When you visit a physical store, you rely solely on the owner’s knowledge, and such stores aren’t usually run by industry experts.

Lastly, CBD products found online are usually less expensive than those sold locally. Running a physical storefront means there’s a middleman involved, and the prices usually reflect that. Online retailers can offer regular discounts, bulk pricing, and customer reward programs.

Local CBD Retailers in Ohio

CBD Stores in Columbus

1. AltSmoke
2. Top Notch Vapor
3. High Up Head Shop

CBD Stores in Cleveland

1. Limitless CBD
2. Cleveland Vape
3. Lux Vapors

CBD Stores in Cincinnati

1. Ohio CBD Guy
2. Vape It Up
3. Cincy Vapors

Summary: What’s the Best Way to Buy CBD Oil in Ohio?

You can easily buy CBD oil in Ohio through local stores and dispensaries since hemp-derived CBD is legal in the state. You can also buy them from online CBD stores. Ohio allows the shipping of CBD into the state.

However, if you want to buy CBD oil without a prescription, you won’t have many opportunities to do that locally because the state of Ohio only allows medical marijuana dispensaries to distribute CBD products. That’s why buying CBD oil online is the best option in Ohio to stay compliant with the law.

Regardless of how you decide to shop for CBD, remember always to do your research on any company before you buy. Pay attention to the source of hemp and extraction method, and above all — look for Certificates of Analysis from a third-party laboratory.

Good luck!