Yes. Per Arizona Senate Bill 1098, residents of the State of Arizona may produce and cultivate industrial hemp within the confines of the law. However, the CBD market is unregulated in the state. In Arizona, both hemp and cannabis-derived CBD is considered legal.
The Arizona State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1098, which amended the Arizona Revised Statutes Title 3 Chapter 2. The Bill established guidelines for the production and cultivation of industrial cannabis. It considers all cannabis and hemp-derived products with a THC content of less than 0.3% by dry weight as agricultural and economic resources. The Bill also empowered the Arizona Department of Agriculture to provide oversight for the cultivation and growth of industrial hemp used in CBD production.
The Bill also enabled research into the cultivation and marketing of industrial hemp. The Bill further stipulated rules concerning hemp use, possession, distribution, licensing, sale, and cultivation in the state.
Under Article 4.1 Sec 3. Section 314, any individual who wishes to grow, cultivate, transport, or set up a nursery for hemp must apply for a license issued by the Arizona Department of Agriculture and pay the required license fees. Under Article 4.1 Sec 3. Section 316, all growers must submit a pre-planning report within seven days of planting. They must also provide periodic updates on the progress of their hemp plants. The Section also requires growers to schedule THC tests and inspections with the Arizona Department of Agriculture within 14 days of harvesting their plants.
Article 4.1 Sec 3. Section 315 established the industrial hemp trust fund exclusively to implement, maintain, and support industrial hemp licensing. It mandated that monies received from legislative appropriations, licensing fees, and other sources be used to create this fund. The monies collected are to be used for the administration and enforcement of the guidelines for industrial hemp use. The Section further mandates Arizona State Treasury to accept, invest, divest, and separately account for any trust fund monies deposited in the state treasury.
Article 4.1 Sec 3. Section 316 mandates that licensed hemp growers, harvesters, transporters, or processors keep accurate records of their hemp production. It also empowers the director of the Department of Agriculture to audit and inspect records of licensees to ensure regulatory compliance. The Section also mandates licensees to notify the department about the sale of any industrial hemp products and provide the names and addresses of buyers. Such reports must include the quantity of hemp sold.
Arizona laws do not currently limit the quantity of CBD oil and other CBD products residents may possess. However, per the Medical Marijuana Act, there are cannabis-derived CBD products possession limits for registered and qualified medical patients. All patients may not purchase more than 2.5 ounces of cannabis-derived CBD products over 14 days. There is no age limit for the use of hemp-derived CBD products in Arizona.
Yes. Arizona medical marijuana laws permit state-licensed doctors to prescribe cannabis and cannabis-derived CBD products such as CBD oils for patients with any of the following qualifying debilitating medical conditions:
Alzheimer's disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Cancer
Chronic pain
Crohn's disease
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
HIV or AIDS
Severe nausea
Persistent muscle spasms
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Multiple sclerosis
Seizure
Arizona does not set a specific age limit for obtaining and using CBD products. Therefore, anyone can buy CBD in the state as long as they do not purchase more than the legally allowed quantity.
Under Article 4.1 Sec 3. Section 314 of Senate Bill 1098, any individual interested in cultivating, processing, and harvesting hemp of CBD in Arizona must apply for a license from the Arizona Department of Agriculture. A new license application or a renewal of an industrial hemp license must meet all of the following requirements:
The Industrial Hemp Program Application Form must be completed on the Department of Agriculture prescribed form. Applicants need to provide accurate information on the application form at the time of application.
Payment of annual licensing fees. The licensing fees to be paid varies according to the license type of interest. An applicant for an industrial hemp grower and processor license will pay $1,000 and $2,000, respectively. An individual who intends to operate an industrial hemp nursery will pay an application fee of $650, while industrial hemp transporters and harvesters will pay a $100 application fee. Fees can be paid via money orders and checks to the Arizona Department of Agriculture.
The applicant is also required to provide proof of a valid signature clearance. Per Arizona Revised Statutes 41-1757.07, the fingerprinting division will award a level I fingerprint clearance card to individuals with no criminal record history. Applicants with previous convictions for offenses like terrorism, indecent exposure, sexual exploitation, and related crimes will not receive a level 1 signature clearance card. Similarly, those awaiting trial for crimes like theft, forgery, credit card fraud, and concealed weapons violation are also ineligible for clearance cards.
Additional documentation may be required for applications such as the location supplement form and storage location supplement form.
There are presently no specific state requirements for CBD product labels in Arizona. Therefore, CBD oil and product manufacturers in the state comply with some of the United States Food and Drug Administration general guidelines on labeling of CBD products. These include:
Amount of active CBD in each serving
Supplement fact panel, including other ingredients
Net weight
Name of manufacturer or distributor
Suggested uses
Whether the product is isolated, full-spectrum, or broad-spectrum
Batch and date code
CBD manufacturers, producers, and distributors are not required to obtain a license in Arizona, provided they engage in these activities with already processed cannabis or hemp extracts.
Individuals who wish to purchase CBD oil and products in Arizona may do so at various dispensaries, convenience stores, organic stores, health/wellness shops, and CBD-specific retailers in the state. CBD oil and products are also widely available for sale by many online retailers. The Arizona State Legislature recommends that Arizonians buy CBD-infused products from reputable sellers and manufacturers. These sellers and manufacturers have had proper testing conducted by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to ensure the absence of THC in their CBD products.
CBD oil is made by mixing CBD extract with a carrier oil. Manufacturers often use hemp seed oil and coconut oil as the carrier oils of choice for making CBD oil. These oils can dissolve the thick paste of CBD extracted from cannabis plants.
CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a compound found in the Cannabis Sativa plant. It is one of the over 80 active cannabinoids found in the plant. CBD makes up about 40% of the cannabis plant's extract. Other phytochemicals such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol acid (CBNA), and cannabigerol acid (CBGA) can also be found in cannabis plants.
CBD and THC are the predominant compounds found in hemp and cannabis. THC intoxicates users. In addition, it has adverse physical and mental effects on users, such as hypothermia, short-term memory impairment, and hypoactivity. On the other hand, CBD is non-intoxicating. According to the U.S. Library of Medicine, cannabis plants have a higher CBD content, while hemp plants have a higher THC content. CBD and THC may be extracted separately from hemp and cannabis plants. However, cannabis and hemp-derived CBD often contain trace amounts of THC, leading to complications around its legality.
CBD is mostly packaged as oils. It is also prepared as lozenges, tinctures, capsules, topicals, edibles, and patches or creams. There are three main types of CBD. These are:
Isolates: These contain only CBD
Full-spectrums: These contain all the chemical compounds found in cannabis plants with 0.3% THC
Broad-spectrums: These contain all the chemical compounds found in cannabis, excluding THC
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, CBD is believed to have therapeutic benefits in managing certain medical conditions. Such conditions include:
Acne
Anxiety
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Epilepsy
Inflammation
Mental disorders
Depression and
Dravet's Syndrome
Federally, CBD is legal. The 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act classifies cannabis and hemp-derived products with a THC content of less than 0.3% as agricultural staples and economic resources. CBD is legal in the State of Arizona.
CBD does have neuroprotective properties. It is effective as an anti-seizure medication for use in the management of epilepsy. Its neuroprotective properties also make it useful for treating insomnia, depression, and anxiety. CBD is also a potent anti-inflammatory agent and is effective in the management of chronic pain.
While CBD will not show up on a drug test for cannabis, it may still cause the user to fail such a test. This is because many CBD products contain some THC. While most manufacturers claim their CBD products do not contain more than 0.3% THC, variations in batches and incorrect labeling may lead users to consume products with significantly higher THC contents. Furthermore, regular users of CBD products may easily accumulate significant amounts of THC in their bodies that may be detected by a cannabis drug test. Similarly, consuming a large dose of a CBD product prior to taking a drug test can lead to failing such a test.
CBD users can take steps to avoid failing drug tests in Arizona. They should avoid full-spectrum CBD products, only buy from manufacturers that produce accurately labeled products, and opt for CBD products with 0% THC content where available. It is also possible to pass a planned drug test by avoiding CBD consumption 2 weeks prior to the test.