Is CBD Legal? Here's Everything We Know So Far

POPSUGAR Photography | Kathryna Hancock
POPSUGAR Photography | Kathryna Hancock

We've been learning so much about the healing powers of our new favorite natural-wellness supplement, CBD, but we still have so many questions (and we know you do, too). Though CBD is not synonymous with marijuana (it's just a compound that comes from marijuana and other nonmarijuana plant sources), there is still confusion as to whether it's entirely legal.

Fortunately, you can legally order CBD online and use it in your supplement routine worry-free in 49 states — Indiana is the only exception in the US. According to Forbes, Indiana hasn't gotten its act together quite yet, and while it's not expressly illegal there, there has been quite a bit of confusion.

DEA spokesman Rusty Payne told WTHR that "it's not legal" in the state of Indiana, but that the DEA isn't going to kick your door in and bust you for using it (and even noted that he himself would use it to treat a sick child). "It would not be an appropriate use of federal resources to go after a mother because her child has epileptic seizures and has found something that can help and has helped," he said.

Live outside of Indiana? Great. You can order tons of CBD products online and have them delivered to your doorstep, with no age requirement to buy them. Think: capsules, gummies, oils, and even chocolate. In certain restaurants you can also order a CBD cocktail if you're of legal drinking age. Another important note: you can legally travel with CBD products, too (it makes a great antianxiety helper if flights stress you out).

While marijuana itself is still considered a Schedule I substance at the federal level, the CBD (cannabidiol) compound is not listed as a controlled substance (though THC is). That said, the times are a-changin', especially at the state level. In 29 states it is completely legal to use medical cannabis products with a card, and in eight states it's legal with or without a card. In Alabama, specifically, CBD is legal to use, although the rest of the cannabis compounds are not (yet).

We can't help but wonder if we'll look back on this era of US history the way we currently look back at the Prohibition era of the 1920s. In fact, cannabis products are better for you than alcohol; they can treat diseases (including cancer), are completely safe to consume, and pose no negative side effects — something that neither alcohol, cigarettes, nor prescription medications can claim . . . and those are all legal!

Harvard-trained physician Jordan Tishler, MD, president of both InhaleMD and the Association of Cannabis Specialists, told POPSUGAR that after working as an ER doctor in the VA for over 15 years, "I had seen lives ruined by alcohol and other medications, but I've never seen anybody get sick or die from cannabis."

It's incredibly unfortunate that there have been such hurdles for people to have access to something so good that could drastically improve their health and potentially save their lives, but we're hopeful that all this confusion and worry will be a thing of the past in the very imminent future.

Any cannabis products referenced above are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The writer is not a medical doctor, and their experience is based on personal use, the results of which may not be typical or intended. The legality of cannabis products varies by state, and readers are encouraged to check their local laws before purchasing and using cannabis products. Nothing in this article should be construed as advice regarding the legal status of cannabis products. Any views expressed in this article by a third-party sponsor are those of such sponsor, and do not necessarily represent the views of POPSUGAR.