The global demand for natural products with therapeutic and healing properties is on the rise, and CBD is leading that race. Country after country, policymakers around the globe are gradually shifting and aligning their stance toward legalizing CBD products.
After all, it’s a quid pro quo situation for the nations as the government gets a new stream of taxes and people get to enjoy natural products to treat their pain, anxiety, sleep, and neurological conditions without any adverse side effects.
The CBD industry also creates a lot of jobs in the farming, processing, and manufacturing sectors and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16%–17% in the next decade. However, the ruling around the legal status of CBD comes with some conditions that differ from country to country.
So if you are planning an overseas vacation and want to carry your favorite CBD gummies along, then this article is perfect for you, as we will tell you about countries where CBD is legal and conditions applicable for that.
Status of CBD in Countries Across the Globe
Uruguay
Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize the production, sale, and consumption of cannabis and derived products for recreational purposes, including CBD products. You can now easily buy CBD products legally through authorized shops throughout the country.
This unique and remarkable legalization was signed by President Jose Mujica in 2013, and it also allows individuals to grow up to six cannabis or hemp plants at home.
Canada
In 2018, Canada brought some significant changes in laws regarding the use of CBD products. The country legalized the use of cannabis for recreational purposes. Both hemp-derived and cannabis-derived CBD products are allowed for sale, but under the condition that the THC concentration must be below 0.3%.
To get products with a higher concentration of THC, you must have a prescription from a certified medical practitioner. You can easily buy products like CBD topicals, capsules, flowers, vapes, and edibles.
Netherlands
CBD products derived from hemp plants are completely legal for sale and consumption in the Netherlands and can be easily bought over the counter without any prescription. The limit for THC content in CBD products sold in the Netherlands is capped at 0.05%.
Though the Netherlands is famous for its “coffee shops,” where you can find CBD products with a higher concentration of THC, you’ll have to consume them within the compound only.
USA
The United States of America passed the remarkable Farm Bill in 2018, which legalized CBD products with less than 0.3% THC legal on a federal level, but individual states have different regulations; some have lighter restrictions like Colorado and Oregon, while others have very strict restrictions like Alabama and Kansas.
You can easily buy high-quality and pocket-friendly CBD products from trusted brands like Colorado Botanicals.
Thailand
Thailand became the first country in Asia to completely decriminalize the use of cannabis in 2022, which led to an increase in the number of new cannabis shops opening across the country, but soon after the regime changed, they pushed legislation to ban the use of cannabis for recreational purposes.
Now, cannabis and related products, including CBD, are limited to being used for medical purposes only, and you’ll need a prescription to buy them.
Germany
Germany recently moved ahead to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, and smoking cannabis and related products like CBD flowers will become legal from the first of April. People will be allowed to carry 25g in public and 50g at home.
People will also be allowed to grow up to three plants at their homes, and CBD products like oil and gummies can be purchased through licensed shops across the country. The upper limit of THC in CBD products is kept at 0.2%.
Switzerland
Switzerland has a very strong culture around the use of CBD products, and industrial hemp is widely cultivated in the country. You can buy CBD products from various brick-and-mortar stores and online brand websites. The THC content limit is capped at 1% in CBD products, which is much higher than all the other nations that allow legal or medical use of CBD products.
Italy
Just like Switzerland, Italy also has a well-established tradition for the cultivation of industrial hemp, and you can legally use CBD products for personal use. The THC cap for all CBD products sold in Italy is kept at 0.6%.
But recently, the new government issued a new decree to classify CBD oil and CBD products as narcotic substances. There’s quite a backlash from the public and business owners, as Italy has a very friendly CBD culture and CBD oil is openly sold as a food supplement in the country.
Japan and South Korea
CBD products with less than 0.3% THC are legal in Japan, but you can only buy them through registered medical practitioners, hence no recreational use.
Just like Japan, South Korea also allows the sale of CBD products for medication purposes, the development took place just a few years back in 2020. You’ll need a prescription from a doctor to buy CBD products. Recreational use is strictly prohibited and can land you in jail, many K-pop artists from South Korea have been prosecuted over it,
United Kingdom, Spain, France and Austria
CBD comes under the category of novel food in the UK and can be bought through licensed shops only. The amount of THC is capped at 0.2% in all CBD products.
In Spain, you can even import CBD products from other places as long as the THC content is under 0.2%.
There’s no clear definition of the legality of CBD products in France, and they fall into a somewhat gray area. But you can easily get your hands on CBD products with an upper limit of 0.2% THC through various stores and websites.
CBD products are legal in Austria as well, with a cap of 0.3% THC in them, but you can also buy higher THC content products with a prescription.
Conclusion
It’s a mixed bag when it comes to the legal status of CBD across the globe; some countries allow CBD for both medical and recreational use, some allow only for medical use, and some don’t allow it at all.
Yet, acceptance and demand for CBD products are increasing at a fast rate because it’s hard to ignore the potential health benefits they provide. So do your research and always buy your CBD products from high-quality brands like Colorado Botanicals, which provide you with a 60-day money-back guarantee and amazing products at an affordable rate.
