It appears that the world vastly underestimated the far-reaching potential of the CBD industry. However, this has also provided a number of opportunities for new businesses and has created a huge market for hemp and hemp-derived products. This dramatic rise in the value of CBD has transformed what was once a niche product into a mainstream one. This rise was so dramatic that economic analysts predict that the U.S. CBD market is bound to hit $20 billion in sales by 2024. The market potential of the US CBD market is something that anyone interested in selling CBD online should take advantage of.
Staying ahead of the law
Since the status of CBD is still in flux when it comes to local laws, it would be wrong to provide a blanket statement that answers whether or not you can sell CBD online from any country outside of the United States.
Different countries and states have varying laws. Some prosecute those selling CBD to others while others are starting to run pilot programs. While it is completely legal for one to send CBD from one state to another, shipping CBD internationally can cause you to run into various complications depending which country you are shipping to and from.
For example, the countries below mark CBD derived products as legal, but only if they have been extricated from hemp and have less than 0.2% of THC content:
Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France. South Korea, Denmark, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Bulgaria, Georgia, China, Croatia, Estonia, Belize, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Guatemala, Germany, Antilles, Norway, Malta, Lithuania, Peru, Paraguay, Poland, South Africa, Slovenia, Slovakia, Portugal, Sweden, Romania, Uruguay, New Zealand, Netherlands, and the Virgin Islands.
Selling to the US
For those researching how to sell CBD online from outside the United States, it can be a relief to know that it is legal to ship CBD products there. You can also choose to sell within your resident country if it is legal. However, you must follow the guidelines concerning the production and sale of CBD.
If you choose to sell to consumers within the U.S., you will have to ensure that your store’s country permits the exportation of CBD products and that your products meet the 0.3% THC content threshold ordered by U.S. federal law. Below are the rules for the select countries that are most likely to export CBD:
Canada
The Industrial Hemp Regulation guides the production of hemp in Canada. On top of that, those wishing to sell CBD online in Canada are required to have a license. Not only that, but every activity concerning CBD: possession, production, sale, and distribution also require a license. It is only possible for consumers to purchase CBD from licensed producers or outlets, which you should keep in mind if any products are planned to be distributed to Canada.
Europe
In Europe, the laws on CBD tend to differ from one country to the next. Thankfully, the EU law enables the consumption of CBD-derived products, as long as they do not have more than 0.2% of THC in them. There are a couple of countries that are exceptions to this rule, as they have an outright ban on anything CBD related, so make sure to do a thorough investigation into which countries deem it as an acceptable good so you don’t face fines.