A few years ago, hemp products were completely illegal in the United States. Now, you can find hemp products everywhere. From your local farmers market to a gas station, hemp products have proliferated into every market imaginable. One of the largest marketplaces for hemp products is online sales. You may believe that buying online is similar to purchasing hemp products in person, but that is not the case.
Buying hemp products in a store versus online has several key differences you should be aware of before you buy hemp products. The legality of buying in person differs from buying hemp products online. Knowing if a seller is reputable is significantly different when you buy online other than in a store. Also, you will find a different variety of products if you shop in a store or online. Once you understand the key differences between purchasing hemp products online rather than in-store, you will see that buying online is the superior option.
Legally Buying Hemp Products: Store vs Online
The legality of hemp products is murky at best in most states. In 2018, the Farm Bill was passed, which made hemp federally legal. You may think that since hemp is federally legal, products made from hemp are legal in every state. This claim is not entirely true. Although hemp is technically federally legal, some states still have hemp listed as a restricted substance. This means that in certain states, it is impossible to buy hemp in a store. Therefore, if you want to buy some CBD or Delta 8 products, you cannot go to a local head shop or gas station to get the hemp products you need. Since the sale of hemp products in stores is restricted, you may believe you cannot purchase any hemp products. However, thanks to the power of the internet, you can still purchase hemp products online legally.
You may be shocked to believe that you cannot buy hemp products in a store, but you can buy them legally online. Do not worry, just because you buy hemp products online in a state where they are restricted, the cops will not bust through your front door. The reason hemp products are legal to sell online is because of interstate commerce laws. Interstate commerce is federally regulated, which means that sales between states will be handled by federal jurisdictions. Since hemp is federally legal, online interstate sale is considered legal. This case even went to court, where the online sale of hemp was upheld as legal. If you are looking to buy hemp products legally, you can always buy them legally online.
Reputable Sellers: Store vs Online
For many products, buying them in a store is a way to ensure their authenticity. For example, if you buy clothes in a store, you can try them on to see if they fit, but this is impossible with online sales. However, when you buy hemp products in a store, you cannot be sure about what you are buying. Since hemp products were recently legalized, many new sellers are trying to break into the market. Many of these sellers are high-quality, but a number of them are unreliable. These unreliable sellers can have unwanted chemicals in their hemp products that can cause health issues. Especially if you are buying newer cannabinoids like THC-O, THC-P, or HHC-P, you must know if the seller is reputable.
If you purchase hemp products online, you can make sure that the seller is one hundred percent reliable. Sellers are much more transparent about what they sell online than in a store. For many products, sellers will include lab results. These lab results are essential for assuring you know precisely what is in your hemp products. Online sellers send their hemp products to a lab where scientists will analyze the chemical makeup of the products. The online sellers can post this information online, where customers can see exactly what they are getting in their products. In-store products do not include lab results, but you can find them easily online. If you want to avoid buying a chemical soup, buying online is your best option.
Cannabinoid Variety: Stores vs Online
Stores can be a great way to quickly buy your favorite cannabinoids. If you forgot your CBD cream was running low, a trip to your closest store is the ideal way to stock up. But what if you are looking for something other than CBD? You can likely find common cannabinoids like Delta 8 at stores too, but many others will likely be unavailable. If you need to treat your aches and pains with CBDa and CBN, your local store may not carry them. If you are looking to have a good time with some friends, psychoactive cannabinoids like HHC and THC-O will be hard to find at a gas station. If you are looking for a variety of cannabinoids, a store will usually fall short.
If you buy hemp products online, even the most obscure ones are instantly available. Just type in the name of your favorite cannabinoid into Google, and you will instantly have tons of options at your fingertips. Also, you have much more variety in how you consume hemp products. Many stores might only carry gummies when you are looking for infused flower. If you have a particular taste for a specific cannabinoid, and a way you want to ingest it, online is the only way to go.
Conclusion
Overall, shopping for hemp products online is far superior to shopping in a store. When you buy hemp products online, it is always legal, you know exactly what is in your products, and you can find even the most obscure hemp products. However, this does not mean shopping in a store is always terrible. There are many reputable sellers who want to deliver the best product possible in stores, but there are some bad actors too. If you want to ensure that you get a legal, quality hemp product every time, buy your hemp products online.