Square and CBD
Square is leaving CBD. This page says where we stand, so that a CBD merchant who finds us knows the answer before writing. We are not writing to CBD merchants; if you write to us, this is what you will hear.
Where we stand
On 7 August 2026 Square emailed sellers that CBD and hemp-derived products must be removed from Square by 15 October 2026, and that accounts selling mainly CBD close on 5 November 2026. Square tied the decision to the federal hemp law, which redefines hemp on 12 November 2026 for synthetic cannabinoids and on 11 December 2026 for natural products above 0.4 mg of total THC a container. Square's exit is a payments problem first: a CBD store needs a high-risk merchant account on a gateway such as Authorize.net, and that application takes weeks, so start it today. We host CBD and hemp products that meet the federal definition on the day they ship, and refuse the rest. We are not taking CBD stores before 11 December 2026: the platform runs the November and December hemp withdrawals on its own first live store before opening the category to others, then publishes the log. From Q1 2027, the Compliance plan adds a total-THC field per product, a certificate-of-analysis page and date-driven withdrawal. Until then we offer a CBD merchant the export checklist, a free dry run of the catalogue, and a plain answer about which products we would host.
The dates, in one place
- 15 October 2026: Square's date to remove CBD and hemp items from a mixed catalogue.
- 5 November 2026: Square closes accounts that mainly sell CBD or hemp.
- 12 November 2026: federal date for synthetic cannabinoids.
- 11 December 2026: federal date for natural cannabinoid products above 0.4 mg of total THC a container.
Write to us
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Sources
- Marijuana Moment, reporting Square's 7 August 2026 email, its 15 October date and its reference to the federal law: marijuanamoment.net
- Vector Payments, on the 15 October and 5 November dates: vectorpayments.com; Evolve Payment, corroborating 15 October: evolvepayment.com
- Public Law 119-37, section 781, the federal hemp definition: govinfo.gov. The delay for natural cannabinoids to 11 December 2026 (H.R. 6500) was signed on 2 September 2026.
- Square Payment Terms, 30 July 2026, on businesses connected to cannabis: squareup.com