Whether you need a little help falling asleep on a long flight, or you want something to help you recover from jet lag, CBD is a common solution for people who have trouble traveling. However, when it comes to actually traveling with CBD, there are a lot of questions surrounding the legality of doing this, and some of the answers are contradictory.
If you have an upcoming trip and have any questions about packing your CBD gummies, lotion, or whatever else, check out this list beforehand for any answers you may need.
What is CBD?
Despite recently becoming a common treatment for anxiety, arthritis, insomnia, and countless other conditions, there is still a lot of confusion around what CBD is and what it does. CBD stands for Cannabidiol, and it’s one of the main active chemicals in cannabis plants, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
One thing that people seem to get hung up on is the difference between CBD and TCH. While these two chemicals are very similar, the main difference lies in what they do. Basically, CBD has the relaxing effects associated with cannabis, which is why it’s such a common treatment for various ailments that cause pain and stress. THC, on the other hand, is what makes you get “high.”
Is CBD Legal?
Whether your CBD product is legal or not depends on a couple of different things.
First, if your Cannabidiol oil came from hemp rather than marijuana, then yes, it should be legal. The federal Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (or “Farm Bill”) removed hemp from the list of federally controlled substances, which makes most hemp-derived substances you have legal anywhere in the U.S. If the product came from marijuana, its legality will depend on the state that you’re in.
The second thing you need to consider is the THC content of your product. Even though legitimate CBD products are designed to give you the soothing effects of CBD without the high feeling that THC gives you, most of these products still have traces of THC in them. The Farm Bill says that cannabis extracts with less than 0.3 percent THC are legal, so if your product falls below that number, you are fine. Anything with 0.3 percent THC or over is considered a marijuana product, so whether it’s legal or not would once again depend on the state you’re in.
Will My CBD Product Get Me in Trouble?
Unfortunately, even though most CBD products are perfectly legal, that may not stop overly zealous TSA officers or law enforcement from giving you trouble.
The fact is that laws and regulations surrounding CBD and cannabis, in general, are murky, poorly communicated, and changing all the time. This means law enforcement is often just as confused as most consumers are about the legality of CBD. So, you might experience officers in states with stricter cannabis laws treating your product as an illegal drug.
As far as the TSA goes, they are much more concerned with the safety of passengers than whether you need Cannabidiol oil for your back pain. They don’t screen you for illegal drugs, but they will refer you to law enforcement if they see any in your bag. To avoid being hassled at security, just pack your legal CBD product discreetly with your toiletries.
Traveling Internationally
When it comes to traveling overseas with CBD products, caution is king. No two countries’ drug laws are exactly alike, so you will need to do your own research on the specific country you’re going to before traveling.
Fortunately, there are no specific laws against taking CBD out of the United States, so whether you are allowed to travel abroad with it will depend almost entirely on how legal it is in your destination.
Conclusion
Whether you are traveling domestically or internationally, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding the dos and don’ts of Cannabidiol products. In fact, they change so much and so often, that there is no telling how soon the info in this article will be out of date.
However, until things are clearer, just use caution and discretion when traveling with CBD, and research the cannabis laws in your destination before flying just to be safe. Of course, if it is available for purchase in your destination, you can always buy it when you get there to spare yourself the trouble.