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Is CBD Legal in Alabama? 2025 CBD Laws

Is CBD Legal in Alabama? 2025 CBD Laws

CBD is legal in Alabama, but hemp and Alabama have a complicated relationship — Alabamians have grown hemp since their state was a colony, but during the 20th century, the entire Deep South took a hardline perspective against cannabis of all kinds.

As CBD gained momentum in the 2010s, Alabama and other Southern states realized they’d have to alter their perspectives. The result is an odd mixture of hopeful openness and concerned reservation — Alabama lawmakers are unsure whether CBD is good for their state or not.

At Colorado Botanicals, we’re here to spread the good word. CBD is legal in Alabama, and you can buy the world’s best CBD products online and have them shipped to your Alabama address — regardless of state laws on CBD sales. Let’s dive into this full guide regarding CBD legality in Alabama.

What Is CBD?

CBD is naturally occurring in Cannabis sativa, which includes the varieties hemp and marijuana. While the most famous cannabinoid, THC, gets you high, CBD does not. If it affects your mental state at all, it’s only in the way that CBD relaxes you lightly, often helping with sleep.

Almost always, CBD is extracted from hemp, classified as cannabis that contains less than 0.3% THC. Certain states, including Alabama, also care about how much THC was in the plant CBD was extracted from, but for most purposes, simply containing less than 0.3% THC is enough for CBD products to satisfy federal legal requirements.

Originally gaining popularity due to its impact on epilepsy, CBD has since broadened its appeal to individuals suffering pain, insomnia, and anxiety. Coming from widely different walks of life, these CBD users are united by their common experience — incredible, almost inexplicable relief at the hands of CBD, one of nature’s most mysterious medicinal miracles.

CBD vs. Marijuana

CBD is distinct from marijuana in Alabama on quite a few different levels:

  • Federal regulatory status: At the federal level, CBD is legal, but marijuana is not.
  • State laws: Alabama law echoes the federal perspective on hemp.
  • Effects: CBD doesn’t get you high; marijuana does.
  • Availability: You can buy CBD in Alabama; adult-use marijuana is illegal.

“Marijuana-Derived” vs. “Hemp-Derived CBD”

An ultimately odd distinction that came about due to a misunderstanding, the difference between marijuana and hemp-derived CBD products is nonetheless built into the architecture of Alabama CBD law. Though it makes absolutely no difference in the end product, states including Alabama distinguish between “hemp-derived CBD,” which is CBD derived from Cannabis sativa plants with less than 0.3% THC, and “marijuana-derived CBD,” which is extracted from plants with more than that THC cutoff.

What matters according to both federal law and common sense is the amount of THC in the end product. Nonetheless, this arbitrary distinction is part of the reason it’s so hard to sell CBD in physical shops located in Alabama.

Is CBD Legal in Alabama?

Yes, CBD is legal in Alabama. The state has mainly echoed federal laws by stipulating that Cannabis sativa products with less than 0.3% THC are industrial hemp instead of marijuana. Alabama is a “marijuana-derived CBD” state, though, meaning the state cares both where CBD came from and its end THC count.

While mostly meaningless in itself, states that have adopted this restriction generally go on to make more, as has proven to be the case in Alabama. CBD-infused food was also eventually banned in Alabama, and the state has put in place strict labeling requirements that disincentivize shop owners carrying CBD oils and other CBD products.

Alabama has even banned CBD in animal feed. Ironically, these restrictions only apply to CBD sales made in-state. You can buy whatever CBD you want online as long as it meets federal regulatory standards.

Alabama CBD Laws: What You Should Know

Learn the details surrounding Alabama CBD law in this section, including legislation and relevant restrictions:

  • Carly’s Law (2014): Alabama became one of the first Southern states with a medical marijuana program with SB 174. Carly’s Law mainly provided a legal defense for individuals possessing CBD oil containing up to 3% (not 0.3%) THC.
  • Leni’s Law (2016): This law extended Alabama’s CBD protections to all individuals suffering life-threatening seizures. Leni’s Law didn’t allow all Alabamians to have hemp but set a solid precedent for future laws.
  • HB 393 (2016): This piece of legislation legalized CBD with up to 0.3% THC for research purposes, serving as another step in the right direction.
  • SB 225 (2019): This law brought Alabama in line with federal CBD legislation, allowing all Alabamians to possess and use CBD with less than 0.3% THC for the first time.
  • SB 46 (2021): Creating a full-fledged medical marijuana program for the first time, SB 46 also established further regulatory limits on CBD sales in Alabama.

Alabama THC Limits

Alabama is like most other American states by simply requiring that CBD products contain less than 0.3% THC. There is no additional requirement regarding THC milligram totals such as is now the law in states like Virginia. Just make sure your CBD is otherwise legal by containing less than 0.3% THC, and it’s legal in Alabama too.

How Old Do I Have to Be to Buy CBD in Alabama?

No state laws have established an age restriction for CBD purchase or possession in Alabama. However, most CBD vendors — within the state and without — ask that their customers be over the age of either 18 or 21.

Do I Need a Prescription to Buy CBD Oil in Alabama?

No, you do not need a doctor’s prescription to buy CBD oil in Alabama. In earlier eras of Alabama CBD law, you did need a prescription to buy CBD oil within the state. That rule always only applied to purchases made within state lines — you’ve never needed a prescription to buy CBD online in Alabama, and you still don’t.

Can I Buy CBD in Alabama?

Yes, it is possible to buy CBD in Alabama, but a variety of factors have combined to make your options slim and low-quality:

  • State Restrictions: Alabama’s restrictions on CBD may not even be noticeable at the consumer level, but they’re massively burdensome on entrepreneurs who want to make or sell CBD. As a result, there aren’t many local Alabama CBD companies to consider when finding CBD near you.
  • Cultural Climate: Alabama is home to anti-cannabis prejudice that runs generations deep. It was always unlikely that CBD would take off in local Alabama stores, and the state’s excessive regulations have eliminated any hope of CBD’s retail success.
  • Internet Economy: The local Alabama CBD economy has also stultified due to the presence of a robust online CBD market available to all Americans. When you can buy the nation’s best CBD gummies online, why stay within Alabama’s arbitrary CBD restrictions?

Can I Buy CBD Online?

Yes, you can buy CBD online as an Alabama resident. The Commerce Clause of the Constitution protects your right to buy items online as long as they aren’t banned by federal law. So yes, you can buy any CBD products you like online as long as they comply with the federal Farm Bill by containing 0.3% THC or less.

Can I Buy CBD in Stores?

Buying CBD in stores in Alabama is a tricky proposition. Most stores don’t carry it — the state isn’t friendly to CBD-specific stores, and even natural food stores and co-ops aren’t very common. Other retailers have shied away from CBD due to the restrictions put in place by state law. Overall, you’re much better off shopping for CBD online.

Are CBD Gummies Legal in Alabama?

No, CBD edibles — including gummies — are not legal in Alabama. The state has specifically banned the sale of edible CBD products within its borders. You can still buy CBD gummies online, though — there’s nothing the state of Alabama can do about that.

Can I Sell CBD in Alabama?

Yes, you can sell CBD in Alabama, but you’ll need to comply with extra restrictions like proving your CBD came from cannabis plants with less than 0.3% THC. Individuals seeking to either produce or sell CBD in Alabama must register with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) and follow the agency’s strict standards for hemp cultivation and sale. The relative difficulty of selling CBD in Alabama has significantly curtailed the growth of the state’s CBD industry.

Conclusion

Is CBD oil legal in Alabama? Certainly. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized CBD nationwide, and Alabama has even confirmed this legislation with its own state laws.

CBD being legal in Alabama doesn’t necessarily mean it's easy to buy high-quality CBD oil within the state, though. Whether in Alabama or anywhere else in the USA, you’re protected by federal law, which says you can buy CBD online if you choose.

On the internet, you have access to the world’s best CBD brands — including Colorado Botanicals. Trust us to provide for all your Alabama CBD needs.

Sources

  1. Alabama SB174 | 2014 | Regular session. (n.d.). LegiScan. https://legiscan.com/AL/bill/SB174/2014
  2. Mike Cason, mcason@al.com. (2016, April 28). Alabama Legislature approves Leni’s Law to decriminalize cannabis derivative. Al. https://www.al.com/news/2016/04/alabama_senate_moves_lenis_law.html
  3. Alabama HB393 | 2016 | Regular Session. (n.d.). LegiScan. https://legiscan.com/AL/bill/HB393/2016
  4. Alabama SB225 | 2019 | Regular Session. (n.d.). LegiScan. https://legiscan.com/AL/bill/SB225/2019
  5. Alabama SB46 | 2021 | Regular Session. (n.d.). LegiScan. https://legiscan.com/AL/text/SB46/id/2391659
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