To put it mildly, the EU has a complicated relationship with the hemp plant. On the back of thousands of years of medicinal and constructional value, we seem to have taken a few steps backwards in our perception of the plant. Thankfully, the law around CBD, especially in the EU, has changed significantly in the last few decades. People seem to finally be waking up to the extraordinary medicinal value that CBD can bring to people’s lives. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the changes with CBD legality in the EU.
Falling short of the USA in first place, the EU has the second highest CBD market in the world. This burst in popularity has come about due to changes in perception and a clearer understanding of the differences CBD has with THC. As we move through the years, the legality of CBD within the EU has evolved positively. As you can tell, CBD Oil is completely legal within the majority of EU states and has been entered into databases as a cosmetic ingredient by the European Commission. As of January 2019, CBD extract has also been added to the Novel Foods Catalogue and has been given novel food status. Essentially, this has ensured that CBD extract legally qualifies as a novel food.
Furthermore, the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) has made distinctions between two different types of CBD – one derived from extracts and one made synthetically. At HighKind, we’re fully committed to premium level CBD extracts straight from the cannabis plant using sustainable and innovative techniques. Not only does this create the best product possible, but our alignment with the legal side of things couldn’t be any clearer.
The UN has also re-evaluated their stance on CBD. António Guterres, the UN Secretary General, has declared that the UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs must be amended. This is huge for EU law, which is constantly following and listening to UN recommendations.
Ultimately, it is up to EU member states to determine the legal status of CBD oil. With popularity increasing year on year, it’s safe to say that the future looks bright for common sense, progressive CBD law throughout the continent and, hopefully, the world.