Is CBD Oil Legal? Dutch And International CBD Laws
10 December 2020It’s always good to know what’s permitted and what is not; especially when it comes to supplements like CBD. In the Netherlands, the rules are pretty straightforward: within certain limits, use and possession of CBD is fully legal. However, laws governing CBD can differ wildly between one country and the next. If you are using CBD and planning to travel, it’s good to know where CBD Oil is legal and where it is not. The same applies to ordering CBD from abroad. Certain countries are skeptical about CBD just because it is derived from hemp plants. Of course, this plant is infamous for its psychoactive properties. Even though CBD will not get you high, this occasionally earns CBD a place on lists of illegal substances. If you want to find out where CBD is legal, please read on.
Why Isn’t CBD Oil Legal Everywhere?
If you want to understand the international differences in laws on CBD, it’s useful to know exactly what CBD is. This cannabinoid, officially known as cannabidiol, comes from the hemp plant (cannabis sativa), just like another famous cannabinoid called THC. However, whereas THC has psychoactive effects, CBD does not. Instead, CBD can help you relax and reduce anxiety, as well as having anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
Since CBD will not alter your perception and leave you sober, using CBD is safe for mental and physical conditions. It can also help keep your body balanced, keeping your immune system in proper shape and helping to prevent health issues from arising. As a natural supplement, CBD cannot be labelled as medicine. Nonetheless, in 2017 World Health Orginisation WHO concluded that CBD has no addictive potential, and no harmful effects will occur if used according to regular instructions. Ever more doctors, GPs, veterinarians, psychologists and other medical experts recognise the benefits CBD can offer for our physical and psychological balance and wellbeing. In spite of this, some governments are still hesitant about legalizing CBD, simply because of its association with hemp, cannabis, and drug stereotypes.
Legal CBD Oil In The Netherlands
People are free to use CBD in the Netherlands, but even here, certain restrictions apply. THC percentages in CBD supplements must not exceed .5%. That is one of the main reasons why SupMedi CBD supplements like CBD Oil or CBD Tablets are rigorously tested in independent laboratories to make sure that THC is removed entirely from the raw hemp used. This results in CBD products with all the plant’s natural terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids – except THC. Medical claims about cannabidiol are off-limits. CBD can be sold anywhere in the country. In other countries, however, possession, purchase or sale may be illegal.
Where In Europe Is CBD Oil Legal?
Germany
German CBD laws are a complicated affair. German narcotics law states that cannabis can be considered a non-psychoactive agent. But this only applies if THC content remains below .2%, and only to cannabis used on a scientific or commercial basis. Sadly, this does not imply using CBD is fully legal. The flower buds of the hemp plant are regarded as part of the plant, and as such, consumption is illegal. Only products classified as harmless can be consumed. That means broad spectrum CBD products can be used (containing all cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, but no more than .2% THC), while CBD isolates are banned, for instance.
France
France allows the use and purchase of CBD in accordance with EU regulations. CBD products must not contain more than .2% THC.
Belgium
Be cautious with CBD in Belgium. This country prohibits sale or purchase of products containing CBD. However, both Antwerp and Brussels have stores that sell CBD oil, even though theoretically, you could be fined for buying CBD there.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg allows the use of CBD. The Ministry of Health initially approved a two-year test program in which residents can use medicinal cannabis to treat conditions. By 2018, the approval of another proposal legalized medicinal cannabis altogether. That means CBD use is fully legal in Luxembourg now, although THC levels must remain below .3%.
Switzerland
Switzerland prohibits the cultivation of high-THC hemp. CBD-rich strains are permitted, however. Regular use of CBD products is allowed, as long as they remain below 1% THC.
Denmark
Denmark requires a prescription by a care professional for use of CBD. In principle, CBD is legal here, as long as THC levels do not exceed .2%. Still, CBD is regarded as a compound with medicinal properties by Danish authorities, basically rendering it a medicine. That’s why anyone intending to use CBD in Denmark should exercise caution.
Greece
CBD products are not considered to be medication in Greece. They are not regarded as containing high THC levels, which makes CBD use legal in this country.
European countries where you can use CBD without concern (though you should still comply with maximum permitted THC levels):
- France
- Greece
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Romania
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
Countries with unclear laws:
- Finland
- Ireland
- Norway
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Russia
- Germany
European countries that don’t allow CBD:
- Belgium
- Slovakia
Is CBD Oil Legal In The Rest Of The World?
All countries have their own laws and legislation when it comes to cannabis and CBD. Many nations regard it as a legal substance, though. CBD is safe to use in many South American countries for instance, as well as in Japan, South Africa, and Australia. In the United States, however, the picture is more complicated.
CBD Law In The USA And Canada
Each of the USA’s fifty states has its own laws on cannabis and CBD; both for medical and recreational use. On the federal level, CBD Oil is legal, but you still have to check what the state you’re in allows. Three states ban CBD products altogether: Idaho, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Purchase, sale and possession are illegal there.
The following states allow both recreational and medicinal use of CBD:
- Alaska
- California
- Colorado
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Nevada
- Oregon
- Vermont
- Washington
- Washington D.C.
Then, there’s a whole bunch of other states with legal limits on CBD use. These limitations usually involve THC content, while in some instances only medical prescription CBD is allowed. Canada, by contrast, fully allows the use of CBD products, regardless of their THC content.
As you can see, the differences between CBD laws vary enormously from one country to the next. The European Union recently decided to increase the maximum allowed THC percentage in CBD products from .2% to .3%. This intended change is scheduled for implementation in 2021. The 2020 US elections saw yet more states shift towards more lenient regulation of cannabis and cannabis products such as CBD. Internationally, CBD law and legislation are constantly on the move. That means change can come at any moment; all the more reason to check in advance whether CBD Oil is legal wherever you are headed.
