Is CBD Oil Legal in Wisconsin?

               If you have driven through, or live in, any medium to large-size city in Wisconsin, chances are you have seen at least one “CBD Oil Sold Here!” banner hanging in a store window. The use of CBD oil has become increasingly trendy over the last year, and many users claim that it can help promote sounder sleep, reduce inflammation and pain, and help reduce stress and anxiety. But one thing many Wisconsin consumers wonder is whether it is in fact legal to possess and use CBD oil.

The most recent bill addressing the legality of CBD oil was passed by the Wisconsin State Legislature in 2017. The bill allowed for citizens to possess CBD oil if a doctor confirmed, in writing, that the product was being used to treat a medical condition. This law is embodied in Wis. Stat. § 961.32(2m)(b) and remains in effect to this day. What that means is that possession of CBD oil without a valid note from a doctor can technically be prosecuted as a misdemeanor criminal offense.

At this point, you may be wondering how none of your friends and family members have been charged with some sort of possession offense after leaving the CBD store on the corner with a bag full of CBD gummies, oils, or vapes without first obtaining a doctor’s note. You may also be wondering how that CBD store on the corner has been allowed to remain in business in the first place.

In 2018, the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a bill authorizing farmers throughout the state to grow industrial hemp. The hemp produced by farmers can be used to produce and sell CBD oil. Due to the conflict this created in the CBD law, the Wisconsin Attorney General’s office released a statement in May of 2018 advising law enforcement officials throughout the state to refrain from enforcing the requirement that consumers must possess a physician’s note in order to use CBD oil. In other words, while you are still technically required to have a physician’s note to use CBD oil, you will most likely not be charged with any criminal offense if you do not have one. If you’d like to play it safe, obtaining a doctor’s authorization is your best option!

While the use of CBD oil seems to be trending towards complete legalization, possession of marijuana remains illegal in the state of Wisconsin. If you or a loved one has been charged with a marijuana-related offense, call Petit & Dommershausen for legal assistance today at (920) 739-9900.