Is CBD oil banned?

“CBD oil banned” goes the headline of the Daily Mail on the 28th January 2019. We wanted to open up this headline with a bit more information for those who are unsure. CBD oil has for a little while now, been referred to as a ‘Novel Food’. That means if it’s something ingested orally, that wasn’t widely used prior to 1997 in the EU. CBD oil has of course been taken in some form, for centuries, so there is a clear legal argument that will now be taken up against this. But importantly, what does it mean for you?

CBD and novel foods?

The British Food Standards Agency have lobbied their European counterparts, to include CBD oil in their list of novel foods. This means, it will need to come off the shelves until it’s sale is given approval. There are two steps that the CBD industry will need to take and it’s not entirely clear how they will do this.

1. Prove CBD oil is safe for human consumption
2. Be able to back up any claims that are made about it.

Is CBD oil safe for humans?

A Forbes article in 2018 cited a World Health Organisation report that stated they found no public health risks or potential abuse worries with CBD. So the argument, is CBD oil safe for humans, should have been put to bed with their work.

In addition to this report, the passing of the Hemp Farm Bill Act 2018, now classifies hemp products as commodities in the USA and not restricted narcotics. While this is a US law, and the WHO do not speak for the EU. It is clear that such a body do not take their investigations lightly. CBD has been consumed for centuries and no reports of toxicity has been shown in that time. In addition, the recent medicinal approval of CBD products to treat Epilepsy show further evidence for it’s safety.

Can CBD back up the claims that are made?

This is an interesting question as it really is a rarity that any manufacturers make explicit health claims. Most in the CBD industry point to potential benefits, but nearly always stop short of being prescriptive. Pointing to studies and highlighting potential upsides, is very different to making claims. Therefore suggesting that halting the sales of CBD oil would stop that, is wrong and frankly naive. This leads us to our next section, is CBD oil banned?

So is CBD oil now banned?

CBD in edible form, does seem like it will be taken off the shelves for a limited time in the coming months. This approach is a UK matter and for those in the EU, CBD oil will continue to be sold. This means you can order online internationally and the UK treasury will lose revenue there. It doesn’t stop the sales of non edibles, and CBD eliquid and balms will continue to be available. CBD eliquid is in fact the biggest selling CBD product in the UK and also the most bioavailable.

So, if you are worried if CBD oil is banned, find out more about other ways to take CBD in our video here