Oklahoma was one of the first states to legalize CBD oil for medical use with a physician’s recommendation all the way back in 2016. But in May 2019, Governor Ken Stitt agreed to pass Senate Bill 238 (SB238), which decriminalizes the use of CBD oil Oklahoma.
Considering that the Federal government has supported the production and sale of hemp-derived CBD oil since 2018, this has made it easier for the average person to obtain CBD oil.
Want to know more about SB238 and what it means for you? Check out this guide to the new court decision and how it might affect the way you use CBD in your health and wellness routine.
What is SB238?
Before SB238, the sale of CBD products was highly regulated by the state government. CBD retailers were required to list their establishment as a “food establishment,” meaning they couldn’t market their business as a health or medical business.
Store owners had to obtain licenses that had to be renewed every year. For some smaller store owners, this proved detrimental since the license cost $335 to renew.
What’s more, these retailers were restricted to only selling to patients with a physician’s recommendation. After all, until SB238, no state laws protected CBD customers from legal action.
All that changed when a group of Oklahoma Republicans decided to push SB238.
Now, both the sale and the possession of hemp-derived CBD oil are legal in Oklahoma. Here’s everything else the bill does for CBD sellers and consumers.
Sale
SB238 states that the sale of hemp-derived CBD oil is completely legal. And here’s the kicker: businesses no longer need to file a pricey license with the state government. However, there are some restrictions on the types of products these retailers can sell.
Cultivation
The only products that can be sold legally in Oklahoma stores are products that are grown and cultivated in the state. The law says products grown in other states are also legal, but these products must adhere to Federal laws about growing hemp. Further, products have to meet certain FDA safety standards about processing hemp.
Products
The good news about SB238 is that is doesn’t just approve CBD isolate, or 100% pure CBD. It also approves CBD products with other plant components (i.e. broad-spectrum CBD oils). These may include:
- Terpenes
- Other non-intoxicating cannabinoids
- Fatty acids and/or nutrients from hemp leaves and seeds
Why is this a good thing? Because some research suggests that broad-spectrum CBD oils offer even more benefits than CBD by itself, a phenomenon called the “entourage effect”.
Consumers
According to SB238, humans and non-human animals are approved to purchase and possess CBD oil and other hemp-derived CBD products. Yes, that’s right: that means your furry friends can take advantage of the benefits of CBD, too.
The Bad News about SB238
So, the bad news about SB238 is that this law doesn’t say anything about regulating CBD products in the Sooner State. That means the FDA can’t get too involved. And that means you have to be careful when shopping for products.
After all, 15 companies have received warnings about the false claims on their product labels. From the wrong CBD content represented to illegal THC content, you can’t always trust what CBD companies are saying these days.
What’s the bottom line? You need to make sure your CBD oil Oklahoma is as high-quality as possible. Here’s how.
One other thing: the passage of SB238 didn’t change the public perception of CBD in Oklahoma. To learn more about what your neighbors might think of your CBD product collection, check out this article.
How to Choose High-Quality CBD Products in Oklahoma
With the explosion of the CBD industry, worries about the safety of CBD for human (and animal) consumption abound. Luckily, Mayo Clinic responded with a guide to choosing high-quality CBD products. Whether you’re shopping online or in-store, use this quick guide to help you choose.
CGMP Certification
CGMP stands for Certified Good Manufacturing Practices. This is a designation handed out by the FDA. And it helps differentiate between those companies that your products were grown with safety and quality in mind.
Certified Organic
With so many products and foodstuffs claiming to be organic, you may be wondering: what does organic even mean?
Well, the FDA gives out a certified organic designation to products that:
- Don’t use harmful pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers
- Try to preserve the location where the crop is grown
Look for the “certified organic” symbol on your CBD products to assure they’re as low-impact and non-toxic as possible.
Lab Testing
The majority of CBD oil companies test their products in a lab to assure the label correctly displays the concentrations of each component. But this isn’t enough. You also need to assure your brand of choice mentions third-party lab testing.
Third-party lab testing is as it sounds: a third-party lab with no affiliations to the brand tests the products, too. If they find the same results as the brand selling the CBD products, you can rest assured that your products are what they say they are.
CBD Oil Oklahoma: The Final Word
By now, you know CBD oil can seriously add to your health and wellness routine. And after reading through this guide, you should feel ready to go out and find your perfect CBD oil Oklahoma.
Ready to start harnessing the benefits of CBD yourself? Then get out there and discover an Oklahoma CBD oil store near you!