Hemp and hemp-derived products are completely legal on a federal level, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill. But laws remain a lot more complicated than they seem. Unique, location-based restrictions continue to control how people use, buy, sell, and move with their CBD and hemp stash.
While this impacts various aspects of hemp users’ daily lives, it most significantly affects travel. So if you’re taking to the skies and you’re wondering whether there’s room in your luggage for your CBD gummies, here are all the answers to your questions.
For the record (and the nth time) — yes, CBD gummies are federally legal as long as the CBD is derived from hemp. Remember that both hemp and marijuana come from the same plant. The only thing that sets them apart is THC content.
A naturally occurring organic compound, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC produces the effects of a high which made marijuana illegal in the first place. According to the law, for any part of the cannabis plant to qualify as hemp, it has to contain 0.3% THC or less.
With that, CBD gummies shouldn’t actually raise any legal concerns especially if the CBD used for the candies comes from hemp. But since it’s not a perfect world and confusion remains rampant across the hemp industry, some security personnel might take an interest in your CBD gummies.
It’s also worth mentioning that some states have levied laws and restrictions on the use, sale, and possession of CBD and hemp products within their borders. So if you’re traveling through or to such a location, you might have to consider these nuances.
Interestingly, CBD isn’t too high up on the TSA’s list of things to watch out for. According to a statement released by the Agency, they don’t actively look for drugs. In fact, the TSA is more interested in items that present possible, immediate danger to guests and travelers.
More importantly, CBD doesn’t even qualify as a drug. But since hemp and marijuana share a close connection in that they come from the same plant, TSA agents who have reason to believe you’re carrying marijuana or marijuana-derived products have the prerogative to confiscate the item and call in the authorities.
However since hemp and all of its derivatives are federally legal, the TSA probably won’t take an interest in your stash — unless you’re bringing along the questionable product. Hemp flower, for instance, looks just like marijuana and they’re impossible to tell apart based on smell and appearance alone.
CBD oils and tinctures on the other hand might not look too suspicious, but the fact that they’re liquids could affect whether or not you could take them on board. That’s why harmless-looking CBD gummies have become a go-to for most hemp-using travelers.
Inconspicuous CBD gummies can pass through most security checks without causing too much of a fuss. But that doesn’t mean you should be careless when taking them with you on a flight.
To make sure your CBD gummies don’t alert the TSA agents on the day of your flight, follow these tips:
Receipts, certificates of analysis, and the original packaging should help clarify that your CBD gummies use federally-legal hemp from a reputable source. Most agents will let you pass through inspections without much else interrogation once you present these papers.
Think about how many CBD gummies you consume in a day and multiply that by the length of your stay. Packing along an excess that would cover about a day or two should be more than enough to meet your travel needs.
But the same can’t be said for every destination. If you have layovers, you should make it a point to check their laws regarding CBD as well. Altogether, if you can buy CBD gummies at your destination, then it might be ideal to simply leave your own stash at home.
In case you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having to explain your stash to an officer or agent, don’t fight back. Surrender your stash if they ask and do whatever they say without forgetting your own rights.
At worst, you might find yourself late for your flight, but there’s not much else they can do to punish you for possession of CBD — which isn’t even a crime.
Security dogs at the airport get trained to sniff out a number of substances including THC, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana and in trace amounts in hemp. If you’re carrying full spectrum CBD gummies, it’s worth knowing that these products do contain up to 0.3% of THC.
Since dogs have very sensitive olfactories, it’s possible that they might pick up on that scent if they’re trained for it. Keep in mind that the keyword here is if. Most TSA dogs are trained to smell explosives and weapons. But that doesn’t mean there’s never a drug-smelling dog on duty.
Even if your CBD gummies contain THC that’s at or below the legal limit, it’s still possible for a dog to identify your stash as positive for THC. So to avoid that scenario altogether, you might want to consider packing along broad spectrum CBD gummies or CBD isolate gummies to eliminate THC altogether.
No, your CBD gummies probably won’t cause you too much trouble at the airport. But that doesn’t mean can carelessly trot through security without a few safety measures. At the end of the day, lots of places still impose weird, unnecessary laws on CBD and hemp products.
And as we wait for legislators to realize the truth behind these harmless, organic compounds, it’s best to practice a little wit and tact when traveling with products like CBD gummies.
