CBD Laws in the UK and EU

What are the hemp and CBD laws within the UK?

Is CBD treated like cannabis? It’s all very confusing, but we hope to clear this up a little in this article.

Before we get too stuck into the discombobulating topic of hemp laws, we need to make you aware that the information mentioned below are subject to change, so please be aware of this when travelling out of your home with CBD products.
Around 1.3 million people consume CBD on a regular basis within the UK. This number will inevitably increase in time as laws simplify and the negative connotations around cannabis diminish.

Hemp products containing less than 0.2% THC is not included under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act and is therefore legal to possess within the UK.

Let’s look at the quick and easy bits first:

Is CBD legal in the UK?

Yes. CBD isolate (99.9% pure) is legal in the UK. Full spectrum (derived from the whole hemp plant, not just the stalks and stems like isolate is) is also legal, as long as the total THC content is less than 0.2%, or 1mg depending on the product size sold. Every effort is usually made to ensure CBD products fall well below the legal limits. Our full spectrum products pass every test and analysis, so there are no worries there.

Is CBD legal in Europe?

Mostly, yes. Being in possession of, using and purchasing CBD is legal everywhere in the EU except for Slovakia. It can be easily purchased from anywhere between Italy and Norway, and industrial hemp is grown in huge quantities in Europe for the manufacture of CBD products. The Netherlands and Spain are surprisingly relaxed in terms of cannabis laws in general, so CBD is no cause for concern in those countries.

CBD laws outside the UK

We recommend fully researching laws in other countries if you are travelling abroad with CBD. Some countries are relaxed, some will punish you with imprisonment if caught in possession of CBD. The USA for example have state laws which are unique to each state, so be especially careful when traveling domestically between states in the USA.

Why are the laws unclear in the UK?

Cannabis has quite a bad reputation over the years. The government seems to be very old fashioned when it comes to the plant and the laws surrounding it. One might expect a public announcement that a compound of an illegal plant is now legal, just to educate the public of what is okay and what is not. But the government seems quite happy to not admit their lack of understanding over the years that they were claiming that there were negative issues surrounding cannabis.
That’s another topic for another time!

You can find information about CBD on the .gov website. It is quite an interesting read actually, so it would be beneficial to educate yourself straight from the horse’s mouth so you know exactly where you stand when it comes to the legalities of CBD and hemp products.

Where can I buy legal CBD products?

Hemp products can be bought on the high streets and online, and pretty much everywhere in between. Quality changes massively between each source. Some expensive and low dose tinctures taste like mashed up grass and vegetable oil, some are tasteless, and others are delicious!

We recommend buying your CBD from approved retailers which ensures that you don’t cross the lines of the law. It also ensures that your purchase is of the highest quality.

Some smaller producers of CBD products cut corners to save money, which can ultimately land you with an illegal or adulterated product.

Once you’ve found something you like the look of, research it. Make sure all the necessary lab reports have been carried out and check flavour profiles so that you know you will get on with the extract long term.
Our top quality extract is 100% certified and lab tested. CBD doesn’t get much cleaner than this.

What will happen to CBD laws in the UK in the future?

We hope that laws surrounding hemp and CBD products will relax even more in time. As long as regulation is in place there should be no problems pushing the plant in the right direction. The UK could profit from regulating hemp, bringing in a lucrative new revenue stream into the country’s economy, and let’s face it, we need one of them!

Regulating hemp flowers, concentrates and edibles will keep product quality at its highest, rather than letting the black market do the quality control.
Tie these together and it is only a matter of time before the UK realises that this plant can be used and not abused.