If you’re reading this then you likely live in Arizona or you’re traveling there. I’ve covered all you need to know about the legalization of CBD in Arizona. According to State Bill 1098, signed in May 2018, the people of Arizona can freely use industrial hemp products. The only stipulation is that the CBD products need to contain less than 0.3% THC, which has become a somewhat of an industry standard.
Arizona Laws: CBD Oil in the Grand Canyon State
A year ago, in May 2018, the state of Arizona has allowed development, cultivation, and branding of industrial hemp and its products, under the SB 1098, effectively establishing an industrial hemp agricultural pilot program.
Anyone interested in growing, harvesting or processing hemp needs to procure a license from Arizona’s Department of Agriculture. The SB 1098 and accompanying license comes with certain provisions: the CBD needs to be derived from legally harvested industrial hemp crops and needs to contain less than 0.3% THC, and the CBD needs to be extracted from mature stalks, oil, stalk fiber or sterilized seeds of industrial hemp, as none of these are a constituent of the legal definition of marijuana.
CBD Oil – The essentials
The cannabis plants come in two main varieties: cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. The sativa variety is further divided into two subcategories: a cannabis sativa that produces THC and is psychoactive and a cannabis sativa that have very little THC (less than 0.3%) and a lot of CBD, has no psychoactive properties and is also called industrial hemp.
CBD is the main ingredient in the extract obtained from industrial hemp. This wondrous molecule is responsible for the excellent medical benefits hemp has, like pain management, reduction of inflammation, seizure relief and a lot more.
CBD extraction methods
There are two main methods for extracting the CBD from the raw material. These are the CO2 extraction and ethanol extraction. These two methods produce a clean, solvent-free product that is safe for human consumption.
Both of these have their pros and cons relating to energy use, solvent use and purity of the end product, as well as efficiency. The CO2 extraction process is more superior, but more costly, allowing for about 90% efficiency in isolation of the CBD and other cannabinoids. The ethanol extraction also gives a very pure product but poses some issues with the handling of the ethanol.
CBD Oil in the Copper State
According to the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act signed in 2010, and effective since April 14, 2011, the use of medical marijuana is allowed to qualifying patients. To be eligible, a patient needs to have a documented case of some of the following conditions for which marijuana has shown to be helpful: Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS, cachexia (wasting syndrome), cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, persistent nausea, PTSD, muscle spasms, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Crohn’s Disease, or seizures.
Any patient that has a medical marijuana registration card can possess only up to 2.5 oz of usable marijuana, or they can grow up to twelve marijuana plants in an enclosed, locked facility if they live more than 25 miles away from a state-licensed dispensary.
Arizona has about 200,000 cardholders that are eligible to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Medical marijuana is available in state-licensed dispensaries that are producing and dispensing marijuana to licensed patients on a not-for-profit basis. However, the marijuana market in Arizona was worth about $380 million in 2017, and estimations show an expected rise of up to $550 million by 2021.
No weed for Arizonians
The recreational use of marijuana is strictly forbidden in Arizona. Any possession of marijuana without a proper patient registration card is considered a felony and can land you jail with a $150,000 fine. Still, there are promising signs, like the legalization of the production of industrial hemp and the use of medical marijuana. The people of Arizona have filed an initiative, asking for the adult-use of marijuana for recreational purposes, but it looks like this is going to wait a while.
Buying CBD Oils in Arizona
There are many state-licensed dispensaries that provide medical marijuana to licensed patients. While these may or may not carry CBD-based products, the safest option for any Arizonian is to go online and order any type of CBD product they want and have it delivered to their door.
The sales and use of CBD products are regulated on a federal level and it is legal to buy and use CBD product that has less than 0.3% THC anywhere in the country. So for all the people of Arizona, you can select your preferred delivery method and favorite brand of CBD products and purchase it through the many online CBD stores.
My suggestion for buying would be checking out the Medterra.com website, CBDPure.com, and ThoughtCloud.net first.
Final Thoughts
The 14th state in the USA to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes in 2010, Arizona is slowly changing its views on industrial hemp as well. In 2018 a bill was passed legalizing the cultivation, research, and branding of industrial hemp, opening the way for farmers and producers to grow this plant and make Arizona-grown CBD products.
In view of CBD, it is legal for anyone in Arizona to purchase and use CBD oil and other CBD-based products as long as they have less than 0.3% THC, but the safest option is to order it via the Internet. I’m sorry, but Arizonan people will have to be patient, as of this moment it is still a crime to use marijuana for recreational purposes in Arizona.
If you’re looking for more information on the topic in general, then please, by all means, head to the homepage. I’ve covered quite a bit!
