So, you’re going on vacation, and you want to take your CBD with you. The bottom line is that whether you do it to unwind, relieve chronic pain, or as part of your regular routine, traveling with CBD on hand can be a bit confusing. But there is no need to stress because if you have a little bit of knowledge and foresight, it’s possible you could get your CBD products from here to there without too much of a hassle.
First, you need to understand what CBD is and the properties that make it up. CBD, unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), generally does not allow you to get “high.” The legality of CBD depends on where you are and the source of the CBD (whether from hemp or marijuana). That is the most important thing to keep in mind when you’re planning to travel.
Domestic US Travel
The good news is that federal law in the U.S. currently allows the transportation of legally produced hemp-based CBD products that contain no more than 0.3% THC. This means that if your CBD oil, gummies, or topicals meet these requirements, you typically can bring them anywhere in the country.
But make sure to research the laws of the state to which you are traveling. The federal law is a baseline, but it may not be the same in your destination, and there’s a significant amount of variation between states. Some states may have more stringent laws or even ban certain kinds of CBD products.
Flying with CBD
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released new guidelines on CBD. They typically permit hemp-derived CBD products with 0.3% THC on both carry-on and checked luggage. However, its first priority is to combat threats to security, so a TSA officer’s ultimate determination on an item comes down to whether it could be a security threat. To streamline your airport experience, you should do the following:
- Store your CBD in its original packaging. This makes it easy to see the product and its contents.
- Be ready with lab reports or Certificates of Analysis (COAs) if you can. These papers prove the THC level of your product. These are typically available on the brand’s website or by asking the company.
- Be prepared to answer any questions officers ask about your products. Be upfront, polite, and clear with TSA that your product is hemp-derived and contains less than 0.3 percent THC.
Traveling with CBD Overseas
This is the point where things get magnitudes more complicated. CBD laws are different from country to country. What’s permitted in the U.S. might be utterly taboo in another country.
Before you take a trip abroad with CBD, you need to do your research on the laws of every country you’d be traveling to and transiting through. Some countries have extremely stringent drug laws, including any amount of CBD, resulting in a prison sentence. If you plan to take CBD into a country, you need to double-check the legality of CBD and the amount you can carry with you.
As a rule of thumb, it’s better to leave your CBD products at home when traveling abroad unless you have verified that they are specifically legal in your destination country. If you have to take a call or participate in a meeting, and you require CBD to stay focused (say, during a long flight or overseas travel), you’ll have to do some research to find out whether it’s legal to purchase where you are.
Travel needn’t be a source of anxiety for you if you are bringing CBD home with you. If you know the laws in your departure point and destination, keep your products well-labeled, and are ready to answer questions, you can sail through your trip with no major issues.
