Short answer
In the US, you can buy hemp products online when delta-9 THC stays at or below 0.3% on a dry weight basis. That limit comes from the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, signed December 20, 2018. Cannabis above that limit is marijuana under federal law. Marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance. It cannot cross state lines.
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Most products sold online under the word "weed" fall into two groups: hemp-derived THC, or marijuana sold inside one state by a licensed dispensary. Check which one you are buying before you pay.
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Hemp and marijuana: the legal line
The line is a number, not a plant. Hemp and marijuana are both Cannabis sativa. Federal law separates them by delta-9 THC concentration. At or below 0.3% dry weight, the crop is hemp. Above it, the crop is marijuana. USDA runs the Domestic Hemp Production Program and approves state and tribal plans.
State rules
States set their own rules for hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoids. Some states ban delta-8 THC and similar compounds. Others allow sales with a purchase age of 21. A seller may ship to 40 states and stop there. Your shipping address decides what you can order.
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What to check before you buy
- Certificate of Analysis (COA) for the exact batch number on the package. Not a sample COA from a past run.
- Lab name and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.
- Potency panel: delta-9 THC, delta-8 THC, CBD, total THC.
- Contaminant panel: pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, microbials, mycotoxins.
- Test date inside 12 months.
A COA without a batch number links to nothing. Ask the seller for the batch match in writing.
Age and payment
Federal law sets no purchase age for hemp. State law does. Many states require 21 for hemp-derived THC products. Card networks block many cannabis transactions. Sellers use bank transfer, debit, or other methods at checkout.
Shipping
The USPS may carry hemp under the 2018 law when the sender follows its rules and keeps documentation. UPS and FedEx set their own policies and restrict some hemp shipments. Some states require lab results in the package.
What you cannot buy online
You cannot order marijuana from an out-of-state seller and have it mailed to you. Interstate marijuana commerce is not legal. You also cannot buy a product that claims to treat disease. The FDA has approved one CBD drug, Epidiolex. The FDA states it is not lawful to add CBD to food or market it as a dietary supplement.
Red flags
- No batch number on the COA.
- No lab name.
- THC listed as zero with no test data.
- Claims that the product treats a disease.
- Price far below the market rate.
Bottom line
Buy hemp, not marijuana, when you order online. Confirm the batch COA, the lab, the THC number, and your state age limit. Anything else is a gamble with federal law.