US Postal Service enacts CBD vape product restrictions

The U.S. Postal Service has pulled the trigger on a long-delayed rule that bans commercial hemp and marijuana vape products in the mail.

The ban was ordered by Congress last year in a law directed mostly at nicotine products. But the law covers cannabinoid vapes, too, even those made from legal hemp.

The final rule, published Thursday, makes exceptions for consumer testing, public health and non-commercial uses. Adults, for example, can make up to 10 non-commercial shipments in a 30-day period.

High-THC vapes remain illegal to mail in any amount. But cannabinoid vape manufacturers across the THC spectrum have been watching to see how the Postal Service regulates vape commerce.

U.S. consumers ordered some $44 million in CBD vape cartridges online in 2020, according to Nielsen IQ, a market analytics company. Almost all of them would have been delivered by mail.

Hemp and CBD products not in the form of electronic delivery systems may be mailed as long as they contain less than 0.3% of THC.

It’s unclear to what extent enforcement of the new mail ban will occur.

Under the new rule, banned vape products are subject to seizure, with senders subject to fines and up to three years in prison.