Blog

Is CBD legal? Cannabidiol law in the UK

Overview of CBD legislation in the United Kingdom

Hemp and cannabis derivative products were illegal in the UK for a long time, but things are starting to change. In October 2018, the UK government legalised medical cannabis, which meant that cannabis products with less than 0.2% THC could be sold legally. It also meant that industrial hemp could be grown with a drugs license.

This bill was quickly passed through parliament and on November 1, 2018, the first person in the UK received their legal medical cannabis prescription.

There are some laws that make it complicated to produce and sell CBD products. However, these restrictions are for producers and sellers, and will not affect your purchasing of CBD products.

CBD vs cannabis vs hemp

You should not confuse CBD, cannabis and hemp, as you may cross the line between legality and prohibited substances. Cannabidiol is just an isolated molecule extracted from hemp, but cannabis is the full plant that contains both CBD and THC – the illegal chemical that may mean you are breaking the law.

In March 2020, the UK government updated the law to ensure that CBD products could be sold more easily, and to ensure that more people had access to medical cannabis prescriptions on the NHS. You should know:

    • Hemp is a cannabis plant with about 0.2% of THC, and 3-8% CBD. It is legal to grow in the UK with a license.
    • Cannabis contains a lot more THC (between 5 and 30%) and about 3-15% CBD. This plant is illegal to grow in the UK unless licensed by the government for medical production.
    • CBD extracted from industrial hemp contains no THC, and is fully legal in the United Kingdom.

Choose your hemp oil wisely

Now that you understand the main differences between THC, CBD, cannabis and hemp, you know that THC is the molecule of concern, and that you cannot use it legally in the UK unless you have a medical prescription.

This is where you have to be very careful purchasing CBD products, as some “CBD oil” is made using a chemical solvent extraction that causes THC to be present in the product. The UK’s Trading Standards Agency estimates that almost 15% of CBD products either do not contain CBD or contain more than 0.2% THC (over the legal limit). Without an NHS medical prescription, products containing more than 0.2% THC are totally forbidden.

The best CBD products to use are made using a clean CO2 supercritical extraction method, as they are guaranteed to be 100% THC-free.

FAQ

Are all CBD products legal in the UK?

Products containing CBD must have less than 0.2% of THC in them to be legally sold in the UK. You have to be careful when buying CBD oils, as some of them are full-spectrum hemp oil, which contains over 0.2% of THC, making them illegal.

Are the cannabis buds and flowers illegal?

The legislation in the UK means that technically, cannabis buds are illegal to possess in the United Kingdom, as they are guaranteed to contain THC. However, it would seem that this law is not always enforced as strongly.

Can I eat CBD edibles legally?

All food, drinks and food supplements are 100% legal if they do not contain more than 0.2% of THC. If they contain even slightly over this amount, then they are illegal in the UK. Some vape or head shops in the UK do sell CBD cannabis flowers in spite of this, however.

CBD legality in the UK is a pretty complicated issue – there are a number of ways that you could be caught out even when you think you’re doing nothing wrong. Knowing the law well is the best way to guarantee that you’re not breaking it – whatever aspect of CBD you’re interested in, good luck!