Is Hemp Flower Legal In Your Country?
Hemp is a non-psychoactive, low THC plant that can produce some of the most sought after products in the world. It’s been used for decades in everything from textiles to food and more recently as a recreational drug. In fact, according to researchers at George Mason University, it’s now one of the top 10 most valuable crops on Earth.
But despite its widespread use and recent legalization efforts, there are still many legal questions surrounding the cultivation and sale of hemp flower. And while those who want to grow, sell or even smoke it might be able to get away with it (for now), police have said enforcing the law would be impossible.
Hemp flower legalized? That’s news to us too!
The only thing we know about the hemp flower industry is that it exists, but not much else. We don’t exactly know how big it is, how many people work in it, what types of products they make or why it was made illegal in the first place. But one thing we do know is that the law says it’s illegal, and that means authorities have every right to pursue anyone involved in this business, regardless of what type of business they may operate.
For example, even if someone were to buy hemp flowers wholesale and then resell them online, they could potentially face felony charges. This is because the federal Controlled Substances Act defines hemp flower as a Schedule I substance alongside heroin, LSD and other illicit drugs.
In addition, state regulations regarding hemp flower vary widely by location. For instance, in Michigan, where sales of CBD oil are booming due to its medical benefits, there are no specific rules for cannabis flower. So far, officials there have opted to focus on CBD oil instead of hemp flower.
This means that it’s possible to purchase hemp flower legally in states like Colorado, Washington or Oregon, but only as an accessory product to CBD oil. In California, however, you can buy marijuana flower without any special permits or licenses — unlike the case for hemp flower.
However, even in states that have legalized cannabis flower, enforcement of the law has proven difficult. A police officer in Denver told The Cannabist that it was “impossible” to enforce such laws without creating a huge financial burden on their department. In addition, he noted that enforcing these laws would also create a challenge for his officers when trying to distinguish between hemp and marijuana plants.
Another police chief in Seattle also told Seattle Weekly that he saw little benefit from pursuing hemp flower cases. He also added that prosecuting growers could lead to large amounts of taxpayer-funded costs.
It seems that police departments across the nation are hesitant to go against the will of voters, which is understandable given that cannabis is still federally prohibited. However, it does seem like lawmakers, regulators and law enforcement are missing out on a lot of potential revenue here.
Even though the U.S. government doesn’t recognize hemp as a legitimate crop, the country’s farmers can still legally grow it. All they need to do is get permission from local governments before planting.
And once they have permission, they can cultivate up to 100 acres per year of industrial hemp. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issues these permits through its Farm Service Agency (FSA).
So far, there isn’t much evidence that farmers are taking advantage of this option. According to data collected by the USDA, the largest number of applications for hemp permits came from Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. In 2018, over 2,700 of these permits were issued (about 1% of all active farmers).
As for retailers, there aren’t many options either. At least not yet. At the end of 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two companies to ship hemp flower to other states. They are both based in Oregon and were granted approval to ship to Illinois and Nevada respectively.
While this is a step forward for hemp flower, neither company appears to have plans to expand beyond these locations. Still, even if they never expand outside of Oregon, this is a great way to test the market for hemp flower.
If these companies decide to expand into new states, it could give a boost to an industry that doesn’t really get a lot of attention. After all, why should consumers care about hemp flower if it’s going to cost them hundreds of dollars per gram?
In fact, one report found that the average retail price for hemp flower in San Francisco was $220 per gram. That’s about five times more than the average retail price for weed overall.
In most of the countries it is legal and anyone can use them but one thing which is must for everybody to do is to find a Legal Hemp Store for placing orders because anyone don’t want to use fake products and give the same amount of money just like of the real products. So if you don’t opt for legal stores then you will be in loss.
According to the same report, the average retail price for CBD was just $13 per gram.
The problem is that most consumers aren’t aware that hemp flower exists. The reason behind this is that most hemp flowers are sold in small quantities. The best known brand that sells hemp flower is called Hemp Store, and it’s one of the few online retailers offering it. However, the store only sells flower in 10g increments.
That means that you have to order several flowers at a time to get your entire monthly supply. In other words, unless you live near one of the stores or you buy directly from the producer, you probably won’t ever see hemp flower.
A better solution? Legalize hemp flower nationwide
There are plenty of reasons why legalizing hemp flower nationwide makes sense. One is that it would provide a reliable source of income for American farmers. Another is that it would help to ease law enforcement concerns about distinguishing between hemp and marijuana plants.
And perhaps most importantly, it would let consumers know what they’re actually buying. If hemp flower were legalized nationwide, consumers could choose whether they wanted to spend their money on high-quality flower or cheap weed.