The legality of CBD can be pretty confusing, so if this is what’s stopping you from trying CBD, then know that CBD is perfectly legal in New York.
It’s okay to possess and use CBD oil in New York even without a doctor’s recommendation, provided that its CBD came from industrial hemp with less than 0.3% THC.
CBD sourced from marijuana is also legal in New York, but you’ll need to present a valid medical marijuana card before you can purchase such products.
We’ll walk you through New York’s CBD laws to help you better understand them. We’ll also provide tips on buying CBD oil in New York, where to find them, and what the best brands are.
Best CBD Oils in New York
- Royal CBD Oil — Editor’s Choice in CBD Oil
- Gold Bee CBD Oil – Leading Vegan CBD Oil
- Hemp Bomb THC-Free Pure CBD Oil — Top Pure CBD Oil
1. Royal CBD Oil — Editor’s Choice in CBD Oil
Rating: 5
For full-spectrum CBD oil, you’ll never go wrong with Royal CBD. This company is famous for its line of full-spectrum CBD oils extracted from organic hemp grown in the USA. Their oils come in different strengths, giving you a wide variety to choose from.
What makes this brand stand out is its consistency and dedication to consumer’s health. All products, not just their CBD oils, undergo rigid testing to make sure they’re free from any harmful residues and pathogenic organisms.
2. Gold Bee CBD Oil — Leading Vegan CBD Oil
Gold Bee may be new in the market, but they’ve already created a nice niche for themselves in this highly competitive industry. Their vegan-friendly CBD products have easily become a household name among vegans.
All of their products are free from animal-derived additives and flavorings, and their CBD is also sourced from organically-grown industrial hemp. Their products are laboratory-tested as well to ensure their potency and quality.
3. Hemp Bomb THC-Free Pure CBD Oil — Top Pure CBD Oil
If you’re looking for pure CBD oil, choose Hemp Bomb. They offer pure CBD oils in varying potencies — from as low as 125 mg to as high as 5000 mg of CBD per bottle. The oils also come in different flavors, including natural hemp, acai berry, peppermint, chocolate mint, watermelon, and orange creamsicle.
All products are laboratory-tested by trusted third parties, assuring you of their potency as well as safety and quality. You can view their certificates of analysis from the company’s website.
Is CBD Legal in New York?
We source CBD from hemp and marijuana, and no matter where we get CBD from, it will always have the same chemical structure.
However, what makes everything a bit confusing is its legality.
Under the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD that came from industrial hemp containing less than 0.3% THC is legal on a federal level. This meant that New Yorkers now have access to hemp-derived CBD products as long as it’s legally compliant.
However, the CBD laws in New York were a bit restrictive. To be in line with federal laws, the state also prohibited the use of CBD in food and beverage products.
In October 2020, New York made significant changes in its CBD laws. State laws now allow residents to consume hemp-derived CBD edibles, provided that the product doesn’t contain any tobacco or alcohol and has no more than 25 mg of total cannabinoids per serving.
The state also now allows CBD vapes, tinctures, and salves, with the cannabinoid content limited to 3000 mg.
CBD products extracted from marijuana is legal in New York since July 2014, when the Compassionate Care Act was signed into law. This gave registered patients of New York access to marijuana for medical use. On a federal level, though, marijuana-derived CBD is still illegal.
To get access to marijuana-derived CBD products in New York, you need to register with the state’s medical-marijuana program and get a card. To get into the program, you must be diagnosed with one of the state’s qualifying medical conditions.
Of note, recreational marijuana is still prohibited in the state, but there are talks though that marijuana for legal use could finally be legalized in 2021.
Do You Need a Prescription to Buy CBD Oil in New York?
No prescriptions and doctor’s recommendations are needed to purchase hemp-derived CBD oil in New York. There’s also no possession limit for such products.
For marijuana-derived CBD oils with higher THC levels, you’ll need to get into the state’s medical-marijuana program to have access to these products.
Do You Need a Medical Card to Buy CBD Oil in New York?
No, obtaining a medical card isn’t necessary to buy CBD oil in New York, as long as the CBD is from industrial hemp containing no more than 0.3% THC.
You’ll need a medical marijuana card though if you’re going to buy and use marijuana CBD products.
Is CBD Legal in New York for Minors?
The 2018 Farm Bill made hemp-derived products accessible to people of all ages. However, if you’re going to administer CBD oil on someone below 18 years of age, we suggest speaking with their primary care physician first.
Patients below 18 years old also have access to marijuana-derived CBD products, but their designated caretaker (parents or legal guardian) must register them into the state’s program. Once approved, the designated caretaker will manage the minor’s use of medical marijuana products.
Is Traveling with CBD legal in New York?
You won’t encounter any problems traveling with hemp-derived CBD oil within New York. You should also be fine crossing state borders with such products, provided it’s sourced from industrial hemp and contains no more than 0.3% THC.
Traveling with marijuana-derived CBD products should also be fine within the state. Just have your medical marijuana card with you to avoid legal problems.
Of note, traveling with marijuana-derived CBD products out of New York is prohibited. Again, under federal law, marijuana and hemp containing more than 0.3% THC remain illegal.
Can You Fly with CBD?
It should be fine flying with hemp-derived CBD oil. Just have with you a copy of the product’s certificate of analysis that shows its THC level. Make sure, too, that its CBD is sourced from industrial hemp.
As for flying out of state with marijuana-derived products, know that it’s prohibited and can land you in heaps of legal troubles.
What Type of CBD is Right for You?
There are basically three types of CBD oils. You have pure CBD oil as well as broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD oils.
Pure CBD oil, as the name implies, only contains CBD isolate. The product contains no other cannabinoids or terpenes.
Broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD oil are essentially the same since both contain other cannabinoids as well as terpenes. What makes them vastly different is the presence of THC. Broad-spectrum CBD oil doesn’t have any traces of THC, while full-spectrum CBD oil has THC in it.
For the best type of CBD oil, we recommend using full-spectrum CBD oil. It may have some THC, but the level isn’t high enough to trigger psychoactive effects.
Moreover, the presence of THC in the oil also strengthens the entourage effect. With all the cannabinoids and terpenes working together, the product becomes more potent.
Where to Buy CBD in New York?
Not only is buying online more convenient, but you’re also given more CBD brands and different types of CBD products to choose from. Moreover, buying online also gives you more perks like freebies and discounts.
When buying online, be mindful of these tips.
1. Look for the Product’s COA
High-quality brands have their products tested by trusted laboratory facilities to check for the presence of residues and harmful organisms. The tests also check the product’s potency as well as purity.
In buying a good CBD oil, always look for the product’s laboratory result or certificate of analysis.
Stay away from CBD products that have not undergone laboratory testing or don’t have any COA.
2. Avoid Brands That Make Too-Good-to-Be-True Claims
Don’t buy CBD products that make too-good-to-be-true health claims. These brands aren’t law-compliant and are violating FDA rules and regulations.
Don’t trust CBD brands that offer very cheap CBD products either. The cost of production of premium-quality CBD products is definitely not cheap.
Trusted CBD brands don’t mislead their consumers by making outrageous claims, nor do they cut corners when producing their products.
3. Read Reviews
Product reviews and feedback made by real consumers can show just how good (or bad!) a CBD product is.
Stay away from CBD brands and products that received many negative reviews. If these many people aren’t satisfied with it, then you probably won’t be happy with it either.
When looking for reviews, don’t just visit the manufacturer’s website. Instead, join forums and social media sites that talk about cannabis. You’ll find great information about the different CBD brands here.
Is Marijuana Legal in New York?
New York legalized medical marijuana in 2014, giving registered patients with chronic and debilitating medical conditions access to marijuana-derived products.
Recreational cannabis remains illegal in the state, but possession of 28 g or less has been decriminalized and only means a fine of $50.
How Much Marijuana Can I Buy or Grow?
Registered patients are allowed to possess up to a 30-day supply of medical marijuana products. Smokable forms of medical marijuana are not allowed.
Home cultivation for medical use is not allowed in New York.
Is Smoking Marijuana Legal in New York?
No. Smoking marijuana, be it for medical or recreational use, is not allowed in the state.
What are the Types of Marijuana Allowed in New York?
The state of New York allows the following forms of medical marijuana products — oils, tinctures, vapes, capsules, lozenges, tablets, and topicals.
New York also allows CBD-infused beverages and foods, as long as it doesn’t contain alcohol or tobacco.
Smokable forms like flowers are not allowed in New York.
When Did New York Legalize Marijuana?
Marijuana for adult use is still illegal in New York, but there’s a high expectation that recreational marijuana could be legalized in 2021.
If this pushes through, adults 21 years old and above will have access to legal weed. They’ll also be allowed to buy up to an ounce of usable marijuana, but this will still depend on the rules and regulations set by the lawmakers.
Recommended and Trusted CBD Retailers in New York
Buying CBD oil in New York online is still the best option, but if you’re looking for a dispensary near you, then here are our recommended CBD retailers in the state’s biggest cities.
We’ve carefully chosen them based on their good reviews and high ratings.
New York City
- Vireo Health Medical Marijuana Delivery — 4.9 stars
- Sunnyside Medical Cannabis Dispensary — 4.5 stars
- FP Wellness Dispensary NYC – Manhattan Dispensary — 4.8 stars
Buffalo
- MedMen Buffalo – Williamsville — 4.2 stars
- The Botanist — 4.5 stars
- Vitality CBD, Inc. — 5.0 stars
Rochester
- Columbia Care Rochester Dispensary — 4.0 stars
- FP Wellness Medical Marijuana Dispensary Rochester — 4.1 stars
- All-Natural CBD Store — 4.9 stars
Yonkers
- Etain Health – Medical Marijuana Dispensary Westchester — 4.5 stars
- Vapohm Kratom & CBD Hemp — 4.8 stars
- Yonkers Smoke Shop — 4.3 stars
Syracuse
- Our Remedies — 5.0 stars
- MedMen Syracuse – Galeville — 4.6 stars
- Etain Health – Medical Marijuana Dispensary Syracuse — 4.5 stars
Final Thoughts — Buying CBD in New York
All residents in New York have legal access to hemp-derived CBD oil, provided it came from industrial hemp containing less than 0.3% THC. You don’t need a recommendation or a medical card to buy one, and there’s no possession limit to hemp-derived CBD products.
For marijuana-derived CBD oil though, you need to see your doctor and be diagnosed with any of the state’s qualifying medical conditions. This gets you into the state’s program and access to medical marijuana products once you have a card.
CBD products are easily accessible in New York, but before buying one, make sure that you choose the brand wisely. Only buy CBD products from a trusted, law-compliant source, and always look for the product’s laboratory test result.