Is CBD in the UK Legal?
CBD products are legal if they satisfy certain standards like having zero THC. CBD products can be bought in "high street shops" as long as they're in compliance with EU regulations and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations.
However there are a few high-street and online sellers offer reliable and safe products. This guide from CBD RAIDERS will give you an understanding of what to look for.
encasabotanics.co.uk has grown significantly due to the availability of high-quality, non-psychoactive marijuana. There are still questions regarding the legality of CBD. The most commonly used type of CBD is oil, which is found in a variety of different items, including health supplements and cosmetics. These products are usually sold on the internet and in retail stores all over the country. CBD contains cannabidiol which has many medicinal properties. It also contains other phytocannabinoids, like CBG, CBN, and CBC. These phytocannabinoids could aid in regulating the effects of THC which is the reason for the euphoric sensations that are associated with marijuana. THC produces euphoria by activating specific receptors in the brain. These receptors are referred to as the endocannabinoid systems.
The CBD found in consumer products like vape juice and gummies originates from the low-THC cannabis or 'hemp' plant. The hemp plant is grown under licence to produce fibre and seed used for commercial use, such as hemp oil and clothing. The stipulations of the licence require farmers to eliminate any parts of the plant that have high levels of THC (flower and buds).
The cannabis industry has found ways to avoid the Misuse of Drugs Act. Some companies claim that their products are exempt under a category called 'exempt product.' This exemption only allows for the presence of no more than 1% THC in a product, and only if certain conditions are satisfied.
This is causing a great deal of confusion in the market. For instance, some vape shops believe that the limit of THC for CBD vape juice is 0.2%. This is not true. The legal limit for THC in CBD vape liquid is 1mg/bottle/container.
The Home Office has recently published an article on the legality of CBD. The report cites peer-reviewed scientific papers, government reports (UK and international), an ACMD call for evidence and previous ACMD recommendations. It concludes that the current scenario is not sustainable and suggests that the legal framework for CBD for consumers CBD should be established.
Benefits
The UK CBD market continues to grow and consumers are becoming more interested in the potential benefits of this cannabinoid. It is a nonpsychoactive cannabis that is found in capsules, edibles and drinks as well as in vaping liquids. It is also available in hemp oil, which is available in health food stores and on the high-street. Its popularity has led certain untruthful manufacturers making false claims about its benefits. It is crucial that consumers understand the differences between different types CBD.
The CBD in the majority of UK products that are currently available is derived from a cannabis plant referred to as Industrial Hemp or "Cannabis Sativa L.' This plant is grown under a license to cultivate cannabis with low-9-THC levels for seeds and fiber and it has a wide variety of applications, including paper, clothing rope, building materials and rope. Farmers are required to destroy plants that have more than 1 mg of THC. This is a condition of the licence because tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is psychoactive and can lead to the sensation of a "high.
CBD is derived from the plant does not have psychoactive effects, but it still contains phytocannabinoids such as CBN, THC, and CBC. These phytocannabinoids do not produce any mental or physical effects, but they can help to regulate the body's balance of neurotransmitters. This can help promote calm and lowers the risk of anxiety and depression.
Unlike THC which is illegal for general sale, the phytocannabinoids in CBD are not controlled and therefore can be sold legally. The UK isn't completely embracing this yet, and it could be some time before the regulations change and the market grows.
Trading Standards monitor the market and may seize any product making claims about health or medical benefits that does not have an approved Novel Food Authorisation from the FSA. The Chartered Institute of Trading Standards also conducts market surveys and may conduct lab testing of CBD-based products available in stores.
Dosage
The CBD that is offered in the UK as a health supplement, food product, and in vape products (cigs) is mainly from 'Industrial hemp' which is also known as Cannabis sativa L. Industrial hemp is cultivated for its fibres and seeds, and has little psychoactive THC. The plant is cultivated under an official Home Office licence, which only allows cultivation of it for preparations that contain the mature stalk, fibre or seeds not leaves or flowers. To produce CBD for consumer products, the entire plant must be processed, including the flower and leaves. This produces a 'CBD Isolate product, but it is still a mixture of other phytocannabinoids found in the plant.
Even plants that are grown in similar conditions can have differing levels of phytocannabinoids. There isn't much information on the psychoactive effects of these other phytocannabinoids at levels that could be present in consumer CBD products. It was therefore determined to limit the concentrations (9-THC) and its precursor (9 -THCA), in consumer CBD products at a level that is unlikely to cause significant psychoactive effect.
The other controlled phytocannabinoids were not subject to a limit because they are hard and expensive to quantify. Limits could also impose unnecessary restrictions on the producers. In addition, there is very little evidence that these other phytocannabinoids have any significant clinical effects.
The Working Group concludes by recommending that the maximum amount of 9-THC or 9-THCA per unit of consumption in a CBD product intended for consumption by consumers be set at 50 milligrams. This limit should be reviewed every two years, and the Working Group also recommends that an analysis of the controlled phytocannabinoids in consumer CBD products be conducted by Dstl, to ensure that these limits are being met.
The recommendations of the Working Group are based on literature as well as government reports (UK and international) as well as an ACMD request for evidence (ACMD, 2020) and a previous ACMD report. The Group has also had discussions with representatives from industry, as well with staff at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and Government Chemist's Team.
Safety
CBD is derived mostly from hemp (Cannabis sativa). In the UK hemp is mostly harvested for its fibres. They are used to make clothing rope, rope, and other building materials. The bud and flower of the plant aren't consumed. Farmers are required to eliminate or leave the flowers and bud to rot on their farms. They can only harvest stalks and seeds to make hemp oil, CBD tinctures, and other CBD-containing CBD products.
The majority of CBD products for consumer use include a mix of other phytocannabinoids, in addition to CBD. These other phytocannabinoids include trans-dimethyl-tetrahydrocannabinol ( 9 -THC) and other cannabinoids controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It is challenging to extract these controlled phytocannabinoids from CBD products, therefore it is impossible to determine the level of these controlled cannabinoids present in the final CBD product.
In the absence legislation that requires testing for these controlled phytocannabinoids 9-THC content in the consumer CBD products can vary greatly. A Defence Science and Technology Laboratory study of 43 commercial CBD products found 16 (37 percent) contained more than 5mg of 9-THC. This can result in psychoactive effects comparable to standard alcohol units (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory 2020a).
A limit on THC is in place in the UK however there are other regulations to be adhered to by the producers of CBD products. Drinks and foods that contain CBD must, for example be in compliance with new food regulations, which means they need to be approved prior being sold. This can take up to a year and can cost tens of thousands of pounds.
In 2023, CBD oils that comply with UK law are legal to purchase in the UK provided they contain no more than 1mg of THC per container. However, there are a few products that are not regulated and these are unlikely to stay on the market for long, considering the evidence of their harms. Police will take these products that aren't regulated. For this reason, consumers should only purchase products from trusted manufacturers.