question What is the legality of opening up Marijuana affiliate website?

[WhoaDomain.com]

Hello,
I've often thought of starting a website to sell marijuana products like CBD and equipment plus since it's along the same lines also Vape products or the reverse opening up a vape store online that sells CBD products. throw in THC products in there too and Dabs why not psychedelics?

Many of these are controlled substances depending on what state you are located in.

I don't plan to actually warehouse or keep stock of these products but I'm sure there are finer points that I have no clue about before I even think of starting this.

Anyone have any experience with this?

what I would like to do is many possible things like:

1. create a marijuana related blog or news website and just slap some marijuana or CBD affiliate links on there.
2. find some marijuana CBD DABS etc etc suppliers who are willing to dropship. This way I look like I have a store and have stock of all the products I sell when in fact it's all coming from states where Marijuana products are legal like Colorado. I'm in New Jersey so I don't think it's legal yet here. Even if it was would I still need to file some paperwork with the stay before I even begin? Even if technically I don't keep stock of any the products I sell? I'm basically a third party affiliate seller technically. This option is basically people pay me direct for their purchase and I just relay the order to my dropshipper and pay them "my price" and keep the rest and then they send the product with my company info.
3. This option is similar to the above but this one is like the Sears.com website where each item is basically an affiliate link to a separate website of which Sears.com is an affiliate of and gets commission for the referral. The buyer gets taken to the advertiser and completes the sale there and the order gets sent from them with their company info.

I guess bottomline I just want to know if in Jersey I need to fill out something with the state or city before I can begin all this?

I have been kicking myself for quite a while now because I haven't really bothered to look into this since I thought of it. I know people who are making a ton of money doing this.

Again I repeat. I don't want to be a farmer/grower or even a warehouse for this stuff. I just want to be an affiliate or use a dropshipper.

I think people will be interested in knowing this. Thanks.

 

[tonyk2000]

Partial answer (or recommendation). From an affiliate point of view. Since you'll finally receive $$$ in one way or another - checks, ACH, paypal etc., you also need to make sure that related financial institutions would be fine to process these funds... as those $$$ would be marijuana related... not all banks etc. may be willing to deal with these funds. Historically, some adult affiliate webmasters for example had their accounts closed as the result of these activities - their banks did not want to deal with "adult" $$$. May also depend on your location and the location of related financial institution(s), is this stuff 100% legal in both locations? And, the hosting company may or may not be happy to host your content, better to ask them before. The last but not the least, domain registrar may or may not be willing to serve as the registrar for your domain. However, there are registrars that are OK with almost everything - some Chinese registrars, and maybe a few U.S.-based ones.

Edited: Chinese registrars may not be compatible with marijuana related domains of course

 

[WhoaDomain.com]

Partial answer (or recommendation). From an affiliate point of view. Since you'll finally receive $$$ in one way or another - checks, ACH, paypal etc., you also need to make sure that related financial institutions would be fine to process these funds... as those $$$ would be marijuana related... not all banks etc. may be willing to deal with these funds. Historically, some adult affiliate webmasters for example had their accounts closed as the result of these activities - their banks did not want to deal with "adult" $$$. May also depend on your location and the location of related financial institution(s), is this stuff 100% legal in both locations? And, the hosting company may or may not be happy to host your content, better to ask them before. The last but not the least, domain registrar may or may not be willing to serve as the registrar your domain. However, there are registrars that are OK with almost everything - some Chinese registrars, and maybe a few U.S.-based ones.

Thank you TonyK! Good info.

But my main concern is whether or not the federal or state or city levels would consider something as tiny a business as someone who just signed up for a marijuana affiliate program or someone who has say a shopify website selling CBD or Marijuana products but not necessarily warehousing any products in house and then shipping it from my location.

I feel the last part would be an "issue" as I am in thee end getting paid direct for marijuana products.

now if I switched to a website that looks and feels like an "online shop" but instead each product page is basically an info page and when they click the link on there it sends them via my affiliate link direct to the website where the product is actually being sold. In this scenario would I still be "on the hook" with my City or State? It's kinda similar to how amazon will offer you products from external sellers.

I feel like still I would be in trouble.

I guess I could always contact my city and state but these days it's a pain with coronavirus to get anyone on the phone.

Which explains why I am here.

Bottomline? Will I need some kind of license or permit or start a separate business just for this "marijuana business" just like as if I am setting up a marijuana dispensary or marijuana farm?

from an uninitiated over here that sounds highly possible and very expensive proposition. no?

 

[tonyk2000]

Imho it would be better to avoid dealing with this.... too many potential headaches. But, I'm not in U.S..
The situation in U.S. may be easier.... In aspects of federal or state or city levels you mentioned - I'd tag @jberryhill

 

[WhoaDomain.com]

Imho it would be better to avoid dealing with this.... too many potential headaches. But, I'm not in U.S..
The situation in U.S. may be easier.... In aspects of federal or state or city levels you mentioned - I'd tag @jberryhill

Thanks. I'll give Trenton a call later or the City. get the answer. God help me. I'll be on hold for the next 4 hours till 5pm. it's 1pm now.