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General Market Hemp Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This page includes answers to frequently asked questions about hemp products that contain CBD or other cannabinoids and are sold outside of the OLCC-licensed adult use marijuana system. 

This information applies to businesses that hold OLCC-issued alcohol licenses, OLCC retail sales agents (liquor stores), and other retail businesses. In this FAQ, “retail business" refers to any business that sells products to consumers in Oregon, regardless of whether they hold an OLCC-issued alcohol license. It does not include OLCC-licensed marijuana businesses.

For frequently asked questions about hemp in Oregon's adult use marijuana system, see the Hemp in the Adult Use Marijuana Market FAQs.

The primary agency that regulates hemp in Oregon is the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). Persons who want to grow, process, distribute, or sell hemp in Oregon must obtain the appropriate license with ODA. ODA is also responsible for the testing requirements that apply to most hemp items.

OLCC is responsible for some of the regulations that apply when hemp items are sold to consumers. Most cannabinoid hemp products (other than topical-only products) must be registered with OLCC to be eligible for sale to consumers in Oregon. OLCC also sets limits on the amount of THC in hemp items, and on “artificially derived cannabinoids” (substances created synthetically from hemp or marijuana).

OLCC regulations are also involved when hemp or hemp items interact with Oregon's licensed adult use marijuana market. OLCC issues certificates to ODA-licensed hemp growers and hemp handlers. These certificates give the hemp business a Cannabis Tracking System (CTS) account so they can enter hemp products that they intend to transfer to OLCC marijuana licensees. OLCC regulations apply to any hemp or hemp items that enter an OLCC-licensed marijuana premises or are sold by an OLCC-licensed marijuana retailer. OLCC rules cover what each license type is allowed to do with hemp, and under what circumstances a marijuana producer can be on the same tax lot as a hemp grow.


These products are allowed to be sold to consumers as long as:

  • The source of the CBD or other cannabinoids is hemp and not marijuana;
  • The hemp product was properly tested for potency, and for pesticides and solvents if applicable, according to the ODA rules (see OAR 603-048-1500);
  • The hemp product does not contain more than 0.3% total THC;
  • If the hemp product will be sold to minors under 21 years of age, the product contains less than 0.5 milligrams of THC and does not contain artificially derived cannabinoids; and
  • If the hemp product will be sold to adults age 21 and over after July 1, 2022, the product contains an amount of THC allowed under OAR 845-026-0400 and does not contain artificially derived cannabinoids.

Note that additional requirements will apply to cannabinoid hemp vape products beginning July 1, 2022.​


It depends. Some hemp products are “adult use cannabis items” and can only be sold to adults age 21 and over. A hemp product can only be sold to a minor under 21 years of age if:
  • ​The entire product contains less than 0.5 milligrams of total THC, or other THC isomers;
  • The testing was sufficiently sensitive to show that the product contains less than 0.5 milligrams of total THC; and
  • The product does not contain any artificially derived cannabinoids.

Basically, an artificially derived cannabinoid is a substance made synthetically from a cannabis-derived starting material. For example, if a business takes CBD extracted from hemp and chemically converts it into delta-8-THC, that delta-8-THC is an artificially derived cannabinoid.
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For the full definition, see OAR OAR 845-026-0100.


Many artificially-derived cannabinoids do not occur naturally in hemp, or occur in such trace amounts that extracting and purifying them at scale is not practical. The following substances are typically artificially derived:

  • Delta-8-THC
  • Delta-10-THC
  • “THCO" (delta-8-THC-O-acetate or delta-9-THC-O-acetate)
  • HHC (hexahydrocannabinol)
  • HHCO (hexahydrocannabinol-O-acetate)
  • Delta-8-THCV

CBN is another substance that is often made as an artificially-derived cannabinoid. While it can occur naturally, some manufacturers use CBN that has been created synthetically from CBD instead of naturally occurring CBN.

You can contact the manufacturer to find out how they source their cannabinoids to determine if they are artificially derived.

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You must immediately stop selling, serving, and distributing these products. You must immediately remove these products from your premises.

Only OLCC-licensed marijuana retailers may sell marijuana-derived products to adult use consumers in Oregon.

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Not without approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).​. OAR 845-006-0345 prohibits the sale, manufacture, storage, or transport of any alcoholic beverages that contain cannabinoids or any substance derived from cannabis unless approved by the TTB and FDA. Currently, OLCC is not aware of TTB approving any formula that contains CBD or other cannabinoids.​

No. OAR 845-006-0345 prohibits mixing an alcoholic beverage with any product that contains cannabinoids.

Additionally, this mixed drink would not comply with OLCC’s hemp product registration and labeling requirements or with ODA testing rules. Finished cannabinoid hemp products are required to undergo compliance testing. 



YYou should contact the Oregon Department of Agriculture (hemp@oda.oregon.gov). to determine what licensing and testing requirements apply to your business and the products you manufacture. See the ODA Hemp Program website: https://oda.direct/hemp.​

OLCC has a searchable list of marijuana licenses that can be filtered to show laboratories specifically. ​The Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program also maintains a list of accredited cannabis testing laboratories.​


The federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) considers CBD to be an ingredient not traditionally found in alcoholic beverages. As such, you must first obtain formula approval from the TTB prior to making an alcoholic beverage that contains CBD.

Currently, the TTB is not approving any formula that contains CBD. Therefore, you may not make an alcoholic beverage that contains CBD.

If you are already making, or have already made, an alcoholic beverage that contains CBD, you must stop making this product and remove all alcoholic beverages that contain CBD from your premises.​


No. OAR 845-006-0345 prohibits storing, transporting, selling, or offering to sell any alcoholic beverages that contain cannabinoids unless the cannabinoids have been approved for use in alcoholic beverages by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Currently, the TTB is not approving any formula that contains CBD. ​

You can submit a complaint in OLCC’s Cannabis and Alcohol Management Program (CAMP). If you are unable to use the online form, please email us at: olcc.hemp@olcc.oregon.gov

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For an overview of requirements, see OLCC’s Hemp-Derived Beverage Guidance.

For licensing requirements, you should contact the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) at: hemp@oda.oregon.gov or https://oda.direct/hemp.

Contact OLCC (olcc.hemp@olcc.oregon.gov) if you have questions about the hemp product registration requirements, THC limits, artificially derived cannabinoids, or sales to minors. 




You can ind out whether a hemp product is registered with OLCC​ here: Hemp Product Registry Search. 

This can be used to confirm whether a product is registered, when the registration expires, and what the labels associated with the label look like.

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