CBD gummies have quickly become one of the most common forms of CBD. Perfect for consuming a small dose of CBD while you are out and about – and also doubling as a sweet treat – it is no surprise that they have become so many people’s top pick when shopping for CBD.
Most CBD brands offer their own range of CBD gummies with fun options, including CBD gummy bears and fizzy CBD rainbow strips. Having so many different, fun options makes CBD gummies a great way to work CBD into your daily routine without it feeling like too much of a chore.
With CBD often being derived from cannabis plants, a large number of people remain slightly cautious about purchasing CBD gummies. There is usually a great deal of confusion surrounding the topic of legality and whether CBD gummies are legal to both purchase and consume.
Let’s take a look at the legality of CBD – and, in particular, CBD gummies – in a little more detail so that you can shop with confidence.
Different Types of Cannabinoids
Before delving straight into the laws surrounding CBD, it is essential to understand the basics of cannabinoids. CBD is just one of the many cannabinoids that can be found in both hemp and marijuana plants.
Alongside CBD, there are many other, less dominant cannabinoids that have similar effects such as CBDa, CBG, and CBN. All of these healthy cannabinoids can work on their own within the body, resulting in positive outcomes. However, they produce more noticeable effects when together.
In what’s known as the entourage effect, cannabinoids such as CBD and CBN can work together within the body, causing much more noticeable and effective results.
Not all cannabinoids are considered to be as good as others. THC is the main cannabinoid found within cannabis plants that triggers psychoactive effects, whereas CBD, for example, produces no intoxication but may create therapeutic benefits.
Legal THC Limits
As CBD and other healthy cannabinoids do not cause psychoactive effects, they are legal to use in a surprisingly large number of countries across the world. Under The 2018 Farm Bill, for example, it became legal to use hemp-based CBD products for health-related reasons.
Being a psychoactive drug, the cannabinoid THC makes the legal status of CBD products a little more complicated. When smoking or consuming recreational marijuana products, it is the THC contained within that causes the psychoactive high effects that you experience. In many states across the USA and the majority of European countries, marijuana is illegal to use for recreational purposes.
When extracting CBD from hemp and cannabis plants, it is possible to remove the cannabinoid THC through intensive filtration. Guaranteeing that all traces of THC have been removed, however, is not so simple and means that many CBD products still contain micro amounts of THC.
When consumed in small doses, THC does not cause any noticeable effects and is therefore deemed safe. The laws governing CBD products reflect this in many countries. In the UK, for example, CBD products that contain less than 0.2% THC are legal to sell and consume. In many US states, the limit is set slightly higher at 0.3% THC.
In practical terms, this means that as long as the CBD gummies you purchase don’t contain more than the legal THC limit in your country, they are legal for you to buy and consume.
Is It Possible to Avoid THC?
When purchasing CBD products such as CBD gummies, there usually are two main options: CBD isolates and full-spectrum CBD.
CBD products that contain CBD isolate only contain the one cannabinoid, CBD, and therefore the effects aren’t always as strong. The filtration methods used mean that manufacturers can guarantee that their products are completely THC-free. CBD gummy bears at Premium Jane, for example, are made using CBD isolate so that you are guaranteed an utterly THC-free experience.
Full-spectrum CBD, on the other hand, contains pretty much all of the naturally occurring cannabinoids found within the plant and, in turn, triggers the entourage effect. Full-spectrum CBD still undergoes some form of filtration to ensure that it conforms to the legal THC limit and cannot be used for psychoactive purposes.
If you are concerned about consuming gummies that contain even low amounts of THC, it is best to stick with brands such as Premium Jane, ensuring that you know precisely which cannabinoids you are consuming.
Final Thoughts on the Legality of CBD Gummies
In countries where it is legal to use CBD products, it will also be legal to use CBD gummies. It is always worth paying attention to the ingredients and lab results for your chosen gummies to ensure that they conform to your location’s legal THC limits.
When shopping with established and well-reviewed brands, it is unlikely that they are going to be packing their CBD gummies with more than the standard 0.2% – 0.3% THC that most countries deem to be safe.
