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Marijuana is a burning hot topic these days. See what we did there? In the past few years, new cannabis companies seem to be popping up every day (mostly in Canada, where marijuana has recently been declared legal). In August of 2018, Constellation Brands even went so far as to pour a $4 billion investment into Canopy Growth! That’s a whole lotta hash…I mean, cash. On a serious note, as the cannabis industry continues to mature, more and more shippers will find themselves asking if they can ship marijuana in the United States. While it might seem like an exciting opportunity, it’s time we tell you the hard truth about shipping marijuana and other cannabis products.
Table of Contents
- Is it Legal to Ship Marijuana through USPS?
- What if I Live in a Marijuana Legal State?
- Can I Use UPS, FedEx, or Another Carrier?
- What About Other Cannabis Products?
- Can I Send Cannabis Products Internationally?
Is it Legal to Ship Marijuana through USPS?
With current United States federal laws and regulations in place, it is still 100% illegal to ship marijuana through the USPS. Not only is it on the list of USPS shipping restrictions—it’s a federal offense. That means if you get caught shipping it, you’ll be hit with some pretty heavy fines and serious jail time. Therefore, Shipping School suggests you don’t even think about shipping marijuana in the United States until the laws change in the future…if they ever do.
What if I Live in a Marijuana Legal State?
Even if you live in a marijuana-legal state, you still can’t ship it. When it comes to our country’s mail delivery services, federal law trumps state law and all other laws of the land. That means even if you live in a legalized cannabis state, you still can’t send marijuana through the mail. Sorry, Charlie.
Can I Use UPS, FedEx, or Another Carrier?
We’re afraid the answer is still no. Federal law declares that sending marijuana is illegal across all modes of mail delivery—no matter which shipping carrier you choose. Therefore, it’s still illegal to ship marijuana through private carriers like UPS, FedEx, or DHL.
What About Other Cannabis Products like Hemp and CDB Oil?
Here’s where it gets interesting. In December 2018, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the Farm Bill. To make a long story short, this piece of legislation officially establishes a definition between THC and CBD and stipulates that CBD-infused products such as industrialized hemp are NOT considered controlled substances. To translate the fancy lawyer talk: industrial hemp is legal now, and you technically can ship it with USPS!
As part of the Farm Bill, shippers can send hemp-derived CBD as long as it contains a THC content of less than 0.3%, which USPS confirmed. You can read more about the Postal Service’s stance on accepting industrial hemp and other CBD products here.
Can I Send Hemp-Derived CBD Oil Internationally?
As part of the new regulations and laws, you can send cannabis products like hemp-derived CBS oil internationally as long as it contains THC content equal to or less than 0.2%. However, each country has different laws about what they allow to import…and marijuana and cannabis products don’t always make the cut, depending on the country you’re shipping to.
For more information on sending hemp-derived CBD internationally, check out our question guide: Can I Ship Hemp-Derived CBD Oil Internationally?
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KrazyKat
Perfect makes a whole lotta sense in Washington State it’s legal but they’re basically saying your selection or choices are limited to the dispensary u got down on the street corner. If that ain’t the best in ur opinion, too bad. I would love to have or even try the top strains that happen to b all in Cali so I order for me to get the quality I gotta buy a car, gas the thing gased up for a fairly serious road trip to drive there & back …that being exactly 2 entire states down from us. Why?! Don’t care. The inconvenience this causes to those who don’t have vehicles n oodles of cash just lying around is beyond B’s but for ppl relying on it for medical purposes I just can’t understand this dumb decision making…wait iyes I can. It’s what the US is good at making laws & policies regular ppl must follow cuz they r the folks it usually impacts which are usually olemented run etc by noone that remotely gets wth they’re doing i.e. richAF politicians, or their knowledge on the subject is usually non existent but very little if any. Why?! How do u become president in the US? Gotta b roch for starters. It’s no surprise most in this country usually follows that general rule. Sad but true. To the folks that rely on medicinal benefits the sad reality is theyd have to drive get the better products themselves or settle for ur local corner store & whatever they got cuz it’s all u can get. So what does that all mean to me?! The stuffs not legal in the least bit yet. No celebrating like we all thot IMHO. Just bs until one of them higher richer etc is forced into having to go down this road medically or otherwise it’ll never change. We might claim to b a “for the people” & claim to be that so called “free” country but what the hell is free? What law or policy is for the people? I can’t think of one that’s met either in more than a decade and we won’t see one anytime soon until we the people actually get our country back to run for lack of better words. Mexico is starting to look damn good at least it’s free in every aspect just name it down there it’s cool bet u it’s illegal here. Times have changed & there’s nothing we can do but be robots or zombies to a bunch of disconnected richAF clueless politicians who get NOTHING to which they r resp for deciding they have jobs they were hired cuz of their income PERIOD. Not their exp education or otherwise. Sadly this 8s how it will b for a long time way past my generation if we r lucky to see the next with the devastating effects we have all added to in the destruction of our poor planet. Sad but not shocking after this last decade. Can’t blame her, mother Earth, I’d be madder than a Hornet long time ago. Sad times w/sum positive changes but nothing my generation will benefit from sadly.
John Kelly
I’m not clear, in one paragraph you say the Farm Bill made Hemp & CBD products legal, yet the end of the article says, However, it looks like CBD as a whole is still non-mailable. For now, all we can do is wait and see if this law changes in the near future. Is that because Trump has not signed the Bill?
Rockwell Sands
Thanks for the comment, John! Good catch. Industrial hemp is currently mailable, and that includes hemp-derived CBD…as long as the THC level is at or below 0.3%. Here’s another point of reference: https://www.shippingschool.com/news/usps-weighs-in-on-mailing-hemp-derived-cbd/