Is CBD Oil Legal in India & Buying Guide

Is CBD oil legal in India? The question is no sham!

When the clock strikes 12, and the moon drop bursts, a secret hand comes out from the door. You stand outside that door, and all you see is a person’s silhouette emerging from its slits. And then you go into an imaginative wishful world, asking yourself, “where’s your Santa?”

Had they been real, would they write beautiful and euphoric nights for you? Would they dispatch you to the ecstatic world had you requested them?

Drowned in thoughts, you ultimately stretch your arms forward, leaning towards the door.

And all of a sudden, you realize a packet of herbs falling on your palm. The shock is tough to absorb, but you’re happy having the food Lord Shiva had for ages! And then you quickly flee to your friend’s home, yank out the packet of your pocket, roll it up in a joint, in haste, and drag till both of you meet on the other side of the universal euphoria.

Sounds familiar? Well, this is the mental imagery I form when I think if “cannabis is legal in India or not!” Is hemp really legal in India? Or is it a big no-no? Is it illegally marketed? Or has the government gone soft on it? Here’s what you should know!

Cannabis is more common than you think and less common than the authorities think

Sounds confusing? Well, there’s a general misconception among people when it comes to hemp legality in India. They think it’s outrightly banned in the country when it’s not. But here’s the rub! The authorities think it’s more common among people than they have legalized.

Two contrary beliefs, but who’s right? I’d say both. Here’s the easy breakdown:

Is CBD oil legal in India?

• Low-THC CBD oil: Legal
• Bhang: Legal
• Recreational cannabis: Illegal

If you think about why bhang has the righteousness over recreational cannabis, let me remind you— bhang has a cultural link with India and Indianness. It’s widely used in Hindu religious practices, festivals, and rituals. Though there are regional restrictions, bhang has the upper hand over recreational cannabis.

Coming back to CBD oil. There are two ways to have cannabis oil. Either you have them extracted out of the hemp plant, the plant with a low THC profile. Or have them crude out from cannabis plants, the green herb with high THC content.

Now, what’s the difference between the two?

And why is THC the deciding factor if CBD oil will be legal in India or not?

So cannabis and hemp are siblings. They’re often inter-used, but they are not the same. The brothers and sisters might look similar, but they have different properties regarding their internal chemical structuring.

THC in cannabis is psychotropic in nature. Yes, the very nature that makes you feel “high” when you drag a puff.

But the story is different for hemp plants. They have low-profile THC, which makes them safe for medical consumption. Don’t forget the calmness it induces. All thanks to CBD, which floods between 5 to 25%, depending on the strain type.

Now, why does THC decide the legality of cannabis in India or any place in the world, for a matter of fact?

Well, the in-built nature of THC is demonized in the world. It is believed the psychoactive nature alters the mind and prevents the brain from engaging in clear thoughts. It might also impair cognitive and motor sensation. So more often than not, you’ll find THC-ladened products banned in India.

Don’t forget CBD oil from cannabis is also not legal. It means… hemp CBD oil is the only weed product you can buy in India.

How is the political atmosphere around cannabis?

We’re surprised the Indian politicians took so long to realize the plant they’ve been thinking to pull out of the political misery that has served their cultures in the Vedic era. There’s plenty of history written on it, and cannabis and cannabinoids were considered sacred once.

But the latest changes in cannabis laws at the world level have changed a bit of India’s political spectrum. Maybe they didn’t want to be the last in welcoming essential changes. Anyway, the dramatic turnaround came post-2017.

Though many Indian politicians advocated the legalization of cannabis for medicinal use in 2015, the wind’s real change came in April 2017 when the Indian government nodded a yes license to the Ministry of Health and Welfare for growing industrialized hemp.

The Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, suggested medical Marijuana be legal. The license was granted within a week.

India looks positive to incorporate industrialized hemp production, for the popularity in the CBD market will boost the economy and give people an alternative medical outlook.

If hemp is legal in India, can you buy it online?

You absolutely can! However, here’s the rub. If only laws were as straightforward. But they aren’t. So you can buy CBD oil India online, but you have to be a little careful at the center and state level.

It’s like… passing the criteria of all the nested rulebooks. You comply with one, the other stops you. You comply with the second; the first stop you. Since laws are ever-changing for Marijuana at federal levels, you have to be informed on your toes, so you don’t violate the rules.

Please investigate the marijuana rulebooks in your land once you’ve decided to make a purchase.

CBD oil India— is it legal to buy them offline?

Yes, you can buy CBD oil from recognized and licensed dispensaries in India. While we advocate online purchase more than offline ones, you must have clarity about the strain’s legality.

Please beware of fake licenses. Marijuana is a dicey product! You may be hearing them getting legalized in your town, but authorities might find reasons to push you to the receiving end.

Check out dispensaries that also have an online presence. This way, you’re reducing the risk of consuming counterfeited products and inviting any trouble. Since marijuana laws are yet to be fully implemented, your place may not be a suitable fit for selling and consuming Marijuana.

In that case, consider moving to places that have legalized cannabis in India.

When does CBD oil qualify to become illegal in India?

The Indian government seems to be following in the same footsteps as the United States. It means… you can only buy, sell, and use CBD in India if it comes out from industrial hemp.

Please note. No other marijuana family-like cannabis is legalized. The strains shouldn’t have more than 0.3% of THC content. The US has the same concentration limit. If you’re consuming anything more than it, the product deems illegal.

Is it legal for you to grow hemp in India?

You already know the answer to “Is hemp legal in India?” But apart from consumption, is hemp cultivation legal in India?

Well, as with the US, India allows growing hemp. The two largest democracies in the world have a very similar take on the plant.

However, it’s illegal to cultivate recreational Marijuana in India. Having said that, you can’t get out of your bed and start growing hemp in your leisure.

It’s not that simple. It’s mandatory to gain a permit and license for your cultivar. If you live in Uttarakhand, you should be amazed knowing it’s the first state to issue hemp cultivation permits.

Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh seem to follow the same steps as they nod for hemp production having THC content less than 0.03%.

Also, an important thing to note. Not all states have a favorable cannabis environment. Before launching a big project, consider data-backed decisions that should include information on the local environment, water availability, temperature, and factors that affect outdoor yield.

But you’ll be happy to know it’s possible to create an artificial growing environment for cannabis. Yes! There’s a massive fad in the United States regarding indoor cultivation.

Only a matter of time, your basement turns into a high-quality weed-making house. You can check on the internet how to grow indoor Marijuana.

Is India an amber country when it comes to marijuana cultivation?

Amber what? Well, that could be your first reaction. Fret not! I had the same reaction when I discovered more on hemp oil legality in India. So what’s the significance of it?

CBD fans in the United States have introduced a color-coding system that covers up cannabis legality in a nutshell. Think like a traffic signal.. What do you do when you see the red light? You know it’s time to stay on the signal. Right? Dare you move from the position.

Likewise, specific colors allotted to each state indicate people the law of the land regarding Marijuana quickly. So they can quickly decide if they really want to move on with consuming Marijuana or respect the law.

While CBD enthusiasts in America have devised this color-coding system for their simplicity, we can apply the same model across the world to uniformize the information on marijuana legality.

Or at least, with a minor adjustment, we can analyze how CBD interacts with a particular nation. It will also get more manageable for you to recognize “is hemp oil legal in India?”

Take a look at these color coding:

• What does the Green color say?

          All CBD products are legal without any strict laws or restrictions.

• What does the Amber color say?

           Only hemp-derived CBD products are legal. And the countries are considering cannabis-derived products. Kind of… positive outlook towards cannabis extracts. This is where India falls where they’re considering cannabis-derived products for more research.

• What does the Amber-red color say?

            Hemp-derived products are only legal for medicinal use. Furthermore, cannabis-derived products are stigmatized, and the countries have a negative outlook towards their use.

• What does the Red color say?

The strictest of all, all CBD products are banned in the country. The offense could vary from milder ones like minor wrongdoing to extreme ones like death penalties.

Stay alert! Hemp seed oil is not equal to CBD oil.

Since hemp oil is legal in India, you might think hemp seed oil = CBD oil. You might as well fall for the trick. But should you? No!

Hemp seed oil comes from the hemp seed, whereas CBD oil comes from everything but the hemp plant’s seeds. It could be buds, leaves, and stems. But not seeds.

While both the oils have their share of advantages and disadvantages, they have various health benefits as well. Hemp seed oils are good for your body, but they won’t have the exact effect you’d want from CBD oils.

The reason is: hemp seed doesn’t have much cannabidiol. So you may not benefit from the anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative properties.

Be careful while buying CBD oil in India, even with big brands. They market hemp seed oils as CBD extract and can fool you into buying an ineffective product for your health.

Where can you buy CBD oil in India?

Both online and offline options are available for buying CBD in India. You might even feel tempted to get it offline in the nearest store, but trust us, CBD is not the same as buying vegetables.

You may want to touch it and feel it, but the quality can still deceive you. I would instead ask you to go for online buying with positive reviews.

List of offline CBD store in India

• CBD Store India
• Hemp Horizons Pvt. Ltd.

List of online CBD stores in India

• Charlotte’s Web
• CBDistillery
• Endoca
• cbdMD

The final call on CBD legality in India

Look! India is the next United States. Not just in terms of development, but the way it maneuvers CBD laws in the market. We have plenty of American history to learn how Marijuana evolved into one of the USA’s most oversized economic wheels.

The same can be applied to India! If not today, the CBD oil market is indeed booming in five years. You have a great opportunity not only to be a consumer but also a canna-entrepreneur.