It’s official: Cannabis vaping products cannot be shipped via USPS, including hemp CBD

By Natan Ponieman

Hemp-derived CBD vapes may be legal across the country, but it’s now illegal to ship them through the U.S. Postal Service.

On Wednesday, the USPS, which works as the independent federal government agency, released its final decision on the shipping capability of vaping devices, including those containing marijuana and hemp derivatives, according to Marijuana Moment.

Photo by Joel Moysuh via Unsplash

What happened?

In an effort to prevent nicotine vaping devices from being shipped, Congress passed a spending bill last year that added vaping devices to other cigarettes and tobacco products that are already banned from postal services.

While the original intent of the bill was to prevent the spread of nicotine and tobacco products, the USPS’s interpretation of the bill also includes devices that contain cannabis derivatives.

RELATED: USPS Proposes Exemption for PACT Act Compliance for Shipments of Hemp and CBD Products

The approved legislation relates to restrictions on “electronic nicotine delivery systems”, defined as “any electronic device that, through an aerosolized solution, delivers nicotine, aroma or other substances to the user that is inhaled from the device”.

RELATED: What’s the Real Reason the USPS Doesn’t Ship Vaping Products?

The mailing agency commented, “It goes without saying that marijuana, hemp and their derivatives are substances,” so they fall within the scope of Congressional law.

Why it matters

Banning legal cannabis companies from shipping their products through the U.S. Postal Service can add additional operational and economic burdens to cannabis companies who then rely on more expensive private shipping services, adding additional costs to their balance sheets.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.