If you have been thinking of supplementing your health plan with CBD products, there are some important things to consider first. To be sure your purchasing and usage is 100% legal, the CBD products you choose must meet certain specific standards.
Here is everything you need to know about the legalities of CBD in the UK and Ireland.
CBD Legalization in the UK
CBD is legal for use in the UK, nevertheless, for a CBD product to be bought, sold and used legally, it must meet some specific standards. Many products found in high street vendors and other shadier operations do not have proper authorization.
For this reason, the best place to procure CBD health supplements is from a trusted online CBD purveyor, a pharmacy or other distributors of authorized products. If you are not sure where to begin your search, you can get more information by speaking with your regular doctor or health provider. Furthermore, you should always carefully read the labels on your products and research the authorizations held by manufacturers before buying or using any CBD supplement in any form.
It all comes down to the presence of THC in the product. Remember, THC is the psychoactive cannabinoid that creates the signature high associated with marijuana use. For a CBD product to be “legal” in the UK, it must contain a <0.2% THC content. This is the case for Northern Ireland too. In the case of The Republic of Ireland – CBD is legal in Ireland if under 0.3%THC content.
While CBD and THC are extracted from the same plant, plants can be selected for their individual quantities of CBD and THC. CBD products legal for use in the UK must have nothing more than traces of the THC to be legally bought, sold and used.
When was CBD Oil made legal in the UK?
Most CBD products are manufactured and sold as food supplements. Since the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, MHRA, decided that products with CBD can be sold as a medicine if they were used for medical purposes this changed. Now products with CBD can be sold as medical products if they carry the correct licensing and authorization.
This licensing ensures that the CBD products meet specific standards of quality and efficacy. Along with regularity guidance, these standards work to protect the health of the consumers who rely on these services for better health. If you are interested in using CBD for a specific health condition you should speak to your general health practitioner who can make a suitable recommendation for your needs.
It should be noted that CBD is not recommended for use by pregnant or lactating mothers. Furthermore, if you are already taking a medication for some other condition, it is best to consult your medical practitioner before beginning your CBD supplementation.
Can I take CBD oil in the UK?
There are virtually hundreds of different CBD products that have been authorized for use in the UK. These include tinctures, capsules, edibles, sprays and even skin and hair care products. So long as they adhere to specific standards set down by the MHRA, they are allowed to be brought, bought and sold freely in the UK.
The Food Standards Agency has released an advisory post with specific advice about the amount of CBD each person should be taking on a daily basis. According to this latest post from the FSA, this limit is 70mg of CBD in a day, unless otherwise recommended by a doctor. It is also recommended that you begin your dosage on a much smaller amount as this is usually sufficient, you can then incrementally increase dosage toward the dosage limit until you find the best daily dose for your needs. IF you have any questions about this, speak with a pharmacist or a doctor about your regular usage.
CBD as a novel food
In January of 2019, CBD was officially declared a novel food and inducted into the Novel foods Catalogue. While this does not have any official legal status, the Novel Food Catalogue is used by many officials to make their decisions about foods and their eligibility for legality. Essentially, CBD is considered a food supplement and treatment with CBD should be based around a plan for supplementation. Be sure to speak with a licensed medical professional before including CBD into your diet, especially if you are already on medication.
What is a novel food?
Novel foods are a category of foods that have not been made available in the UK before May of 1997. Because they are fairly new to the markets, there is no ‘history of consumption that can be reviewed, Therefore, the Food Safety Agency has the task of making sure they are safe to be consumed. Before they can be marketed in the UK, these foods will have to undergo a safety assessment. CBD will undergo this process as it continues to be closely tested and monitored as a novel food.
Other Novel foods include:
Probiotic bacteria in yogurts
Foods typically eaten internationally, but not as commonly in the UK or EU, like chia seeds
Foods made by new processes such as UVC treated milk
Travelling and driving with CBD oil
Because CBD is a legal product in the UK, you should have no problem transporting your supplements and even boarding flights with it. But this is something that you should check with your flight provider before you begin your travels.
One thing to remember is that if your CBD is in liquid form, the 100ml of liquid limit will apply to carrying it on the plane. If you will be travelling to another country, it will also be important to check the laws of the country you will be traveling to. Finally, make sure you have checked with the terms and conditions of the airline company with which you will be flying before taking any such products on the flight.
CBD products that are legal in the UK are required to have a very low level of THC and this means they will not deliver a signature high when they are ingested. This means you will be safe to drive and operate heavy machinery while under the influence of CBD. Be sure you carefully study the product information insert and labels before using your CBD products.
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