Wholesale
What documents do wholesale buyers need?
Written by: Author pendingReviewed by: Reviewer pendingUpdated:
Four things: a completed IRS Form W-9 with your EIN, a state resale certificate (the MTC multijurisdiction form is accepted by 36 states), any state hemp retailer license or registration your state requires, and signed wholesale terms (MTC). Approval opens a company account with wholesale pricing.
Wholesale in hemp is a documented relationship, not a discount code. Sales tax law, state hemp rules and carrier policy each require a piece of paper before the first case ships. This page lists the packet, explains what each item does, and describes what an approved account looks like.
What goes in the application packet?
- IRS Form W-9. The IRS says to "Use Form W-9 to provide your correct Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)" to the party that has to file information returns; the current revision is March 2024 (IRS). It establishes your legal entity name and EIN and is the anchor for every other record.
- Resale certificate. Wholesale sales are exempt from sales tax only when the buyer certifies the goods are for resale. The Multistate Tax Commission's Uniform Sales & Use Tax Resale Certificate - Multijurisdiction, last updated October 14, 2022, is a single form that "36 States have indicated can be used as a resale certificate" (MTC). States that do not accept it require their own form, and the MTC advises checking with that state's revenue department. Some states also require the buyer to hold an in-state sales tax permit to claim the exemption, so the certificate must match the ship-to state, not just the buyer's home state.
- State hemp retailer license or registration, where required. Rules vary. Oregon requires hemp retailers and wholesalers to hold an ODA Hemp Vendor Site license at $100 per year, valid July 1 through June 30 (Oregon ODA), and since January 1, 2026 every cannabinoid hemp product sold to Oregon consumers must be in the OLCC Hemp Registry, with enforcement from June 1, 2026 (OLCC). If your state licenses hemp retailers, include the license; if it does not, say so in the application.
- Signed wholesale terms. The agreement covers pricing tiers, payment, a no-health-claims clause for how products are marketed, recall cooperation, and a commitment to sell only in states where each product lane is allowed under /learn/cbd-legality-by-state.
- Ship-to verification. The delivery address must be a commercial location or a verified business address. UPS will not accept hemp shipments from any location that sells marijuana and requires Adult Signature Required on every U.S. hemp shipment (UPS), so the receiving location needs someone able to sign.
How does approval work?
Applications are reviewed by hand. Once approved, the account is created as a native Shopify B2B company account with a company profile, assigned locations and named buyers. Shopify's B2B features on non-Plus plans, available since April 2, 2026, include company profiles, catalogs, payment terms, volume pricing, vaulted credit cards and U.S. ACH, with "up to 3 active B2B catalogs" assigned through Markets (Shopify changelog). Those three catalogs are used as retail, wholesale and distributor tiers.
New accounts are prepaid by default: card or ACH at checkout, with net terms switched off. Net 30 can be enabled for established accounts after a payment history exists, using a vaulted card or ACH on file. There is no application fee.
What do I receive after approval?
- Login to the wholesale catalog with tier pricing and case-pack quantity rules.
- A certificate of analysis for every batch, downloadable from the product page and at /lab-results, so your own compliance file is complete.
- Plain shipping cartons with no product identification on the outside.
- Access to the distributor catalog only if the account is approved at that tier; it is reserved for accounts that resell to other retailers.
What if I am buying bulk ingredients rather than finished goods?
Bulk isolates, distillates and terpenes are handled as a separate business-to-business program for licensed or registered manufacturers only. They are intermediate hemp-derived cannabinoid products and are never offered as consumer products. Buyers in that program provide the same packet plus manufacturing registration, and shipments exclude states whose rules bar the material. Ask through the wholesale application and specify "bulk" in the notes.
General information, not personalized guidance.
Sources
- Uniform Sales & Use Tax Resale Certificate - Multijurisdiction Multistate Tax Commission (accessed 2026-10-13)
- About Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification Internal Revenue Service (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Key B2B features now available on non-Plus plans Shopify (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Hemp Program Oregon Department of Agriculture (accessed 2026-10-13)
- OLCC Announces Hemp Registry, Bringing Transparency to the Market Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Shipping Hemp and Hemp-Derivatives UPS (accessed 2026-10-13)
Related questions
What is a typical MOQ for wholesale CBD?
For finished goods, the practical minimum is one case per SKU, and pricing improves at volume breaks. Native Shopify B2B enforces this with minimum quantity rules, case-pack...
What is white label CBD and who is the labeler?
White label CBD is a finished product made by a manufacturer and sold under your brand. You become the labeler: 21 CFR 101.5 requires the label to name the responsible firm with...
What is a COA (certificate of analysis)?
A certificate of analysis is a lab report for one production batch that states measured cannabinoid content, THC and THCa, and contaminant results. Independent labs accredited to...
Can CBD be shipped to my state?
Usually, yes. USPS accepts hemp products at or below 0.3 percent THC for domestic mail, and UPS carries hemp derivatives with Adult Signature Required (USPS Pub 52). A few states...