The Cannabis sativa Law

External use and use in skincare products

  • CBD and CBG are allowed in skincare as long as there’s no THC. Full-spectrum oils or full-spectrum products, which are legal but in the gray area, are not allowed to be registered as a food supplement or as a cosmetic because they contain various levels of THC.
  • Generally, it’s 0.2%, but some countries have different rates. Italy used to have 0.6% THC, but now they’ve they’ve lowered it to 0.3%. In Scandinavia, it’s 0.2%.
  • Cosmetics are strictly regulated in Europe, requiring a safety report, mandatory product registration, and compliance with GMP standards. Products cannot be sold in the EU without these elements in place, and companies are subject to audits and inspections.
  • The US operates differently from Europe in terms of cosmetic legislation. In the U.S., cosmetics are self-regulated by companies with no pre-market approval, safety report, or mandatory adherence to GMP standards. Registration of products is voluntary, and the FDA typically intervenes only after products are on the market if there are safety concerns.
  • The rapid growth of the CBD market, combined with oversupply, has caused prices to fall dramatically, which benefits consumers but also challenges producers.

Internal use

The sale of Cannabis sativa products for internal use is regulated by drug, pharmaceutical, and food legislation. The legality of cannabis products in Europe is complex. Each country has its own approach to these products.

Hemp seeds

  • Hemp seeds have historically been used for food. This also applies to products extracted from hemp seeds, such as hemp seed oil (hot and cold pressed), hemp bran, hemp protein, and hemp seed flour. Seeds are mainly free of CBD and THC.

THC

  • THC is regulated in most countries. The EU has regulations that allow industrial hemp with a low THC content (below 0.2%). Different EU countries have different upper-level content of THC.

CBD

  • CBD oil is produced from parts of the plant besides seeds, so there are currently no upper limits.

Food, a narcotic product, or a medicine?

  • Some products from hemp are permitted as food, others are classified as narcotics or medicines, and for some products, the situation is unclear.

The above information does not apply to hemp products used in skincare products.