Selling CBD on Shopify in the United States (US)

If you're a US merchant and you want to learn how to set up your Shopify store to sell hemp and hemp-derived products that contain cannabidiol (CBD), then use this page for information about some laws surrounding hemp and hemp-derived products that might apply to your business. Learn more about hemp and hemp-derived products.

Hemp is a type of plant in the cannabis sativa plant species, and produces a broad range of cannabinoids. Hemp doesn't produce high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but is capable of producing high concentrations of CBD.

If you don't have a Shopify store yet, then go to www.shopify.com/sell/cbd to sign up for a trial store.

To sell hemp and hemp-derived products that contain CBD, you will need to review and submit an Attestation for the Sale of Hemp and Hemp-Derived Products. This Attestation for the Sale of Hemp and Hemp-Derived Products is only required for stores that are based in the United States.

Getting started

Laws in the United States surrounding hemp and hemp-derived products are changing, so you should consult with legal counsel before you sell these products on Shopify. Shopify can't provide legal advice on what and where you can sell.

Before selling hemp or hemp-derived products on Shopify, review and monitor federal, state, and local laws. You should also monitor updates from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Set up your store to sell hemp or hemp-derived products

  1. Log in to your Shopify store. If you haven't created a store yet, then go to www.shopify.com/sell/cbd to sign up for a trial store.
  2. Carefully review and submit the Attestation for the Sale of Hemp and Hemp-Derived Products. You need to be signed into your Shopify account as the store owner to complete this form. The attestation is only for stores located in the United States and must be filled out by store owner. Before you sell any CBD products, make sure that you understand and submit the attestation form. After you have submitted the form, the attestation process is automatic - you don't need to wait for a response from Shopify regarding the attestation form.
  3. Select and apply for a third-party payment gateway. Shopify Payments is not available for hemp or CBD products at this time. However, Shopify has partnered with third-party payment gateways that support the sale of certain hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD products. The requirements for approval may vary for each gateway. Review the requirements and apply directly to any of these gateways using the following Shopify-specific links:
  4. Set up email-only customer notifications for orders and shipping. You can only send notifications related to CBD products and shops by email. SMS messages aren't supported. For steps to enable email-only customer notifications, refer to Disable your customer’s SMS notifications.

This list may not be exhaustive, and may change over time.

Hemp-derived CBD transactions are vetted more carefully by third-party payment gateways than other transactions, so the application and approval process might be more involved than usual. Third-party payment gateways take into account many factors in approving payments and rates for shops selling CBD products, including product type, whether the business was recently created, transaction history, volume, product mix, and others. Approvals are at the discretion of each third-party payment gateway, and Shopify can’t guarantee the approval of your shop.

Additionally, it is important that you know your responsibilities. Like all Shopify merchants, it’s your responsibility to follow federal, state, and local laws and the respective policies of Shopify, our app and partner ecosystem, and any third-party providers. If you have additional questions, then contact the third-party providers directly, or consult with an attorney.

Disable your customer’s SMS notifications

You can only send notifications related to CBD products and shops by email. SMS messages aren't supported. For information about customer notifications, refer to Set up your customer's notification options at checkout.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout.
  2. In Customer contact, select Customers can only check out using email.
  3. To disable shipping updates by SMS, uncheck Customers can choose to add a phone number or email to receive shipping updates after they complete their order.
  4. Click Save.

FAQ

General

Can I sell hemp and/or hemp-derived products if my business is located outside of the United States?

The Attestation for the Sale of Hemp and Hemp-Derived Products is specific to US-based merchants selling hemp and/or hemp-derived products.

In Canada, merchants that want to sell CBD must be licensed cannabis sellers, and are required to use Shopify Plus. Merchants in all other jurisdictions must continue to comply with Shopify's Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy, which includes ensuring that the merchant is selling products in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Learn more about laws surrounding hemp and hemp-derived products that might apply to your business.

If I'm selling hemp or hemp-derived products, can I hire a Shopify Partner?

Yes. Shopify partners, such as Partners in the Partner Directory, apps, and online sales channels, are able to work with you at their own discretion. You should confirm this with the partner directly before using their services to confirm they're able to support your products.

What is the Attestation for the sale of Hemp and Hemp-Derived Products, and why do I need to complete it?

If you're a US merchant and you want to sell hemp or hemp-derived products, then you need to complete the attestation to confirm that you understand and will comply with the requirements for selling these products on Shopify.

For example, in the attestation merchants must confirm that none of their hemp or hemp-derived products are marketed as having any medicinal or therapeutic benefit, unless such claims have been approved by the FDA. Merchants are responsible for ensuring that their store remains compliant with all requirements of the attestation.

Payment

Can I use Shopify Payments to sell hemp or CBD products?

No. Shopify Payments is not available for hemp or CBD products at this time. However, Shopify has partnered with several integrated third-party payment gateways that do support the sale of hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD products. You can see this list here.

It's possible to have a product that you can sell on Shopify, but that can't be supported by Shopify Payments. For more information on businesses that can't use Shopify Payments, refer to Shopify Payments requirements. This doesn't prevent you from using Shopify for your business. It only means that you need to work with a third-party payment provider.

I'm already using Shopify Payments, and I want to add hemp or CBD products to my store. Can I do that?

No. Stores that sell hemp or CBD products can't use Shopify Payments to process payments. If you currently use Shopify Payments, then you have a few options:

  • You can change your payment settings to use a third-party payment provider.
  • You can open a second store exclusively for your hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD items and use a third-party payment provider for that particular store. Your already-existing store will not be affected as long as you don't add hemp or CBD products to it.

Which payment providers can I use to sell CBD products?

Third-party payment providers will have their own policies regarding what products they can support, so you should contact the service you're interested in using to confirm that they're able to support your products.

Shopify has partnered with integrated third-party payment gateways that currently support the sale of certain hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD products. You can review the application process and apply to any of these providers with the following dedicated links:

This list may not be exhaustive, and may change over time.

Hemp-derived CBD transactions are vetted more carefully by third-party payment gateways than other transactions, so the application and approval process might be more involved than usual. Third-party payment gateways take into account many factors in approving payments and rates for shops selling CBD products, including product type, whether the business was recently created, transaction history, volume, product mix, and others. Approvals are at the discretion of each third-party payment gateway, and Shopify can’t guarantee the approval of your shop.

My current payment provider supports the sale of hemp and CBD, but isn't included in the list above. Can I still use them?

Merchants are not limited to the recommended list of payment providers included above. Merchants are able to use any integrated third-party payment provider that fulfills the following requirements:

  1. They are integrated with Shopify.
  2. They support the sale of hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD products, as applicable.

Please confirm that your third-party payment provider is integrated with Shopify before proceeding.

A full list of third-party providers integrated with Shopify can be found at Ways to accept payments in the United States. However, not all of these payment providers support hemp or CBD product sales.

Can merchants sell hemp or CBD products and other products in the same store?

Merchants can sell hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD and other products on the same store if the payment gateway allows for the sale of hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD products.

Shopify Payments is not available to hemp or CBD merchants at this time.

Yes. You can create links between your stores, provided that your store selling hemp and/or hemp-derived products that contain CBD complies with all applicable laws and regulations, and you have reviewed and submitted the Attestation for the Sale of Hemp and Hemp-Derived Products for the store selling the hemp or hemp-derived products.

I was removed from Shopify Payments, can I still use Shopify to sell hemp or CBD?

Yes. If you were previously removed from Shopify Payments for the sale of hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD products, then you can still use the Shopify platform to host your store. You can process payments with an alternative third-party payment gateway, provided that you submit and comply with the Attestation for the Sale of Hemp and Hemp-Derived Products.

Hemp-derived CBD transactions are vetted more carefully by third-party payment gateways than other transactions, so the application and approval process might be more involved than usual. Third-party payment gateways take into account many factors in approving payments and rates for shops selling CBD products, including product type, whether the business was recently created, transaction history, volume, product mix, and others. Approvals are at the discretion of each third-party payment gateway, and Shopify can’t guarantee the approval of your shop.

Shipping

I'm located in a state that allows the sale of hemp and CBD products, where can I sell to?

If you sell hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD products, then you need to ensure that you're following the laws and regulations of both your own state and that of your customers. You should consult your own legal counsel to determine where and what you can sell. Shopify does not provide legal advice.

After you've determined where you can sell your products, you can ensure that only customers from certain states can receive your products by editing your shipping zones.

Which shipping service can I use to send my hemp or CBD products?

Shipping services will have their own policies regarding hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD products, so you should contact the carrier you want to use and confirm that they're able to deliver your products.

Can I use Shopify Shipping to send hemp or CBD to customers?

Yes. You can use Shopify Shipping to send hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD products to your customers, provided that the applicable carrier allows it. Ensure that you confirm the goods you’re sending are allowed to be shipped under the applicable carrier’s policies, and that the goods are permitted to be shipped to your customer’s jurisdiction.

You can learn more about how to set up and restrict shipping locations by product with Shopify Shipping profiles.

In-store sales

Can I use Shopify POS to sell hemp and CBD in person?

You can use Shopify POS to sell hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD in person in accordance with the same requirements as your Shopify online store. However, you can't use any POS hardware that requires the use of Shopify Payments, and you need to use an external credit card terminal from your chosen payment gateway.

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