California is hands down one of the best places to buy high-quality CBD oil. In this article, we provide you with the relevant information you need to make a well thought out decision.
California has a reputation as a very progressive state when it comes to cannabis regulations. If you’re lucky to be a resident of this state, you certainly won’t run out of options, both locally and online.
We generally recommend online stores for CBD shopping because they give you access to the best products for less money and with more possibilities to research your potential vendor.
Read on to learn about the California laws around cannabis and where to get the best CBD products near you.
Is CBD Legal in California?
Yes! Both hemp-derived and marijuana-derived CBD products are legal in California. The state has a very interesting history with cannabis, so before we tell you where to buy the best CBD oil there, let’s travel back in time to the early 1970s.
How Did Cannabis Laws in California Changed Throughout the Years?
California was the first state to outlaw the use of cannabis at the dawn of prohibition in 1914.
However, a few decades later, it also became the leader of the legalization movement upon the introduction of Proposition 19 — a bill that would have legalized marijuana use again.
Proposition 19 ultimately failed but that didn’t stop California authorities from decriminalizing marijuana possession for less than one ounce of flower.
California made another huge step forward in 1996, when the voters passed Proposition 215, legalizing medical marijuana and introducing one of the first MMJ programs in the U.S.
When Arnold Schwarzenegger was the governor of California, he signed Senate Bill 1449, reducing the punishment for possession of less than an ounce to a $100 fine.
California sealed cannabis legalization when its voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016, which legalized the recreational use of marijuana for adults aged over 21. In 2018, first adult-use dispensaries began to open up.
Marijuana-derived CBD in California
You can legally buy marijuana-derived CBD oil and other products in California provided that you are 21 or older and can show a valid ID.
Although local dispensaries focus mostly on THC products, some places offer a broad selection of high-CBD weed strains, tinctures, capsules, and gummies.
If you take pleasure in making your own CBD products, you can enrich your plot with up to 6 marijuana plants if you’re a recreational consumer.
Hemp-derived CBD in California
CBD became federally legal when President Trump signed the amended Farm Bill into law. As of today, hemp is no longer considered a controlled substance; it’s an agricultural commodity like any other crop.
The legal status of hemp applies to CBD products too. Hemp-derived CBD is legal in all 50 states unlike its marijuana counterpart, which can be accessed for recreational use only in 11 states so far.
Let’s talk about the best places to find high-quality CBD oil in California.
Where to Buy CBD Oil in California
CBD oil is legal in California in virtually every form, so there’s an abundance of vendors to choose from.
CBD products are widely available in dispensaries, head shops, wellness centers, vape shops, and even some grocery stores.
That being said, shopping for CBD locally isn’t the best option out there.
Here’s why:
The Downsides of Buying CBD Locally in California
Finding high-quality CBD oil in-store can be a bit tricky, even in states like California. Although California has dispensaries everywhere, CBD is a relatively new product with no strict regulations around it. There are hundreds of mediocre brands selling CBD oils that have little to no CBD inside it, even though they’re advertised as “high potency.”
Always make sure to do a background check on any company before committing to a purchase. CBD oil isn’t the cheapest product out there — you don’t want to waste your money on an ineffective or dangerous product.
Shop Online For Best-Quality CBD Products in California
As the popularity of CBD continues to grow, more entrepreneurs are entering the industry trying to get their fair share of the cake. The market has become very competitive over the last few years and online retailers have realized that customer awareness has grown as well.
Therefore, it’s easier to find a reliable company online than locally.
Competition is one thing, but when it comes to buying CBD online, this option comes with many other perks.
Firstly, you can access a wider range of products. CBD comes in many different forms, including tinctures, capsules, edibles, vape oils, and even products for gummies. It’s difficult to find such diversity in dispensaries or head shops. When buying CBD online, you can browse through different brands and their collections in the comfort of your home.
Online products are also more affordable than their in-store counterparts. That’s because online shops cut out the middlemen. There’s no rent or bills to pay and no salesmen to employ, so online companies often provide discounts on certain products, seasonal deals, and often loyalty programs for returning customers.
Not to mention that buying CBD online gives you more opportunities to research your future supplier. You can read reviews from other customers, join social media groups, and check for lab reports to make sure that the product you’re going to invest in is worth your time and money.
In the next section, we share a few tips on how to find high-quality CBD anywhere.
Recommended CBD Stores in California
Here are the top-rated CBD stores in California according to Google Reviews:
CBD Stores in Los Angeles
- LA Wonderland Marijuana Dispensary Recreational
- Hollyweed Dispensary
- Downtown Buyers Club Dispensary
CBD Stores in San Francisco
- Grass Roots Dispensary
- Barbary Coast Dispensary
- The Apothecarium
CBD Stores in San Diego
- URBN Leaf Dispensary
- Goldn Bloom
- Apothekare Medical & Recreational Dispensary of San Diego
CBD Stores in Sacramento
- THC
- Cloud 9
- Kolas
If you don’t live anywhere near those places, you can either risk your time and money bouncing between different stores, or you can find a trustworthy online shop. We suggest the latter.
How to Find the Source of High-Quality CBD in California
- Check the hemp source. Hemp plants are bioaccumulators, which means they absorb everything from the environment they grow in, including both the good and bad substances. The best way to ensure the premium quality of the end product is to use organic hemp as the source of CBD. Plants were grown in fertile soil, without the use of pesticides and other dangerous chemicals, yield clean, CBD-rich flowers.
- Opt for CO2-extracted products. CBD can be extracted using different methods. CBD produced using CO2 extraction — a heatless and solventless method — is the closest you can get to the original chemical profile of industrial hemp. This technique also yields more consistent results than alcohol or hydrocarbon extraction.
- Always check for third-party lab reports. Any credible company will test its products in a third-party laboratory for potency and purity, and it will publish lab reports from those tests on its websites. It’s the only way to prove that a product contains the advertised amount of CBD and is free of any unwanted contaminants.
- Avoid companies making claims that seem too good to be true. CBD is a fantastic compound, but it’s by no means an overnight cure-all. If a company makes unrealistic claims about its products, they probably fall short in terms of quality.
- Look for full-spectrum CBD. Full-spectrum extracts contain CBD, minor cannabinoids, terpenes, and other phytonutrients from hemp. These compounds have been shown to produce better effects together than in isolation. Scientists call this phenomenon “the entourage effect” or “the whole-plant synergy.”
Finding this information about products sold in physical stores can be time-consuming. Doing so online usually takes a few clicks on a company’s website.
Final Thoughts on Buying CBD Oil in California
California has always been the role model for other states when it comes to cannabis policies. There are hundreds of products to choose from, which can be overwhelming for new CBD consumers who are trying to find the best product for their needs.
We usually recommend buying your CBD online rather than spending a lot of time going from one store to another and comparing products in person. Buying CBD oil online saves you much time and money by getting your favorite products sent right to your door without breaking the bank.
Make sure you steer clear of sketchy companies by staying up to date with your local laws. Always be an informed customer and do your research before you trust anybody with your hard-earned money. Follow our CBD buying guide to make sure that you’re getting the best quality products at reasonable prices.
