Everything you need to know about CBD flower and its legal

CBD flower is a molecule that has undergone a large number of scientific studies, which have demonstrated the beneficial health effects of controlled consumption of CBD, one of the cannabinoids found in the Cannabis Sativa L. plant.

This product has proven to be an effective substance in treatments against diseases such as arthritis, asthma or epilepsy. These scientific advances culminated in the report issued in December 2017 by the World Health Organization (WHO) [PDF], in which it was stated that CBD is not addictive (unlike THC, the psychoactive component of the plant cannabis) nor does it produce harmful effects on health, while confirming the enormous therapeutic possibilities.

Legal situation of CBD flower

the CBD has not yet been registered as a food supplement in the "list of authorized food supplements" of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS).

EFSA (The European Food Safety Authority) has informed all member countries of the European Union through its corresponding agency in AECOSAN (Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition), of the immobilization of all products qualified as dietary supplements containing CBD.

AECOSAN, through the Ministries of Health of the different Autonomous Communities, has informed the companies in charge of their production or distribution that they are paralyzed until Europe regulates them.

CBD is not illegal, but cannot be sold for human consumption

The companies affected in  should notify the withdrawal of these products from all the businesses in which they are offered for sale as a food supplement. In this sense, EFSA bases its decision on the classification of CBD as a "new food" without any regulation.

Legal status of CBD in Europe

The WHO recommended in January 2019 to the UN that cannabis, the most consumed drug in the world, be removed from list IV of prohibited substances of the 1961 Convention on drugs, unfortunately, the UN continues to maintain, for now, the restrictions that affect the cannabis plant, despite the fact that the World Health Organization has recommended lowering the control to which states must submit it.

At the meeting held in Vienna, sources present say that the Commission, made up of 53 countries, decided to postpone the vote in part because the WHO report came a little later than expected and some countries needed more time to reflect on the matter. However, and despite the fact that it was voted unanimously, the positions differ.

Removing cannabis from list IV implies at least the UN's recognition of the possibility of regulating at least its medicinal use, which is why, at least for now, it has not ruled on it. The UN decision is long awaited, but we will still have to wait.

Legality of CBD for external use

The most countries, industrial hemp can be legally used as a cosmetic product (with its corresponding regulation from the Medicines Agency) "only for external use."

That is the default definition of use in the member states of most of Europe. ”For external use only” is one of the labeling requirements necessary for a CBD product to be legally registered and sold. It is illegal to sell it for human consumption, it can only be marketed as a "technical product" or "product for external use" if it is manufactured.