Where is CBD legal?

Is CBD legal worldwide?

In most countries, cannabis is still illegal, but CBD isn't. Since CBD is derived from cannabis, its legal status is regulated in many laws, which means manufacturers, producers, and buyers are monitored. The fact that every country has its own cannabis laws, which are constantly changing, causes confusion and makes it hard to answer the question of CBD's legality.

Europe

In most European countries, the EU regulates the sale of CBD. However, each European country can interpret the regulations in its own way, and the same goes for how penalties are handled. When it comes to cannabis-related offenses, every country in Europe has a different tolerance level, so the laws around CBD are also handled differently.

South America

As the global perception of cannabis shifts and its potential is recognized, the market for CBD products in South America keeps growing. Countries across South America are starting to recognize the medical benefits of cannabis, which is also reflected in the current laws for medical cannabis.

Africa

Most African countries don't have laws for the production, sale, or possession of CBD. Except for South Africa, recreational cannabis use is considered illegal in African countries, and medical cannabis is only legal in Lesotho, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, with access still being limited. Despite the laws, some African countries tolerate cannabis use and the law is often not enforced. On the other hand, in some African countries, possession of even small amounts of cannabis is punished with heavy penalties. The CBD market in Africa isn't very developed—South Africa seems to be the only country with a competitive market.

In which Middle Eastern countries is CBD legal?

Opinions on cannabis in the Middle East vary a lot. On one hand, there's Israel, which leads international cannabis research, where medical cannabis is legal and tolerated. On the other hand, there's Saudi Arabia, where people have been executed for cannabis possession. You should never travel to the Middle East with CBD, no matter your prescription or the THC content. CBD without THC seems to be tolerated in Egypt, Israel, and Turkey, although possession may be heavily monitored in some areas and is not recommended.

America

U.S. law says that CBD from hemp with less than 0.3% THC is legal to grow, transport, and sell in the USA. However, each state decides for itself what is allowed in its territory. This means every U.S. state has different laws. To understand the variety of laws in the U.S., a traffic light system is used, where each state is assigned a color based on its laws:

Green states – Cannabis and all by-products, like CBD oil, are legal
Yellow states – Cannabis products are tolerated under certain conditions
Yellow-Red states – CBD is tolerated under certain conditions
Red states – All cannabis products are illegal

Australia

The Australian government legalized medical cannabis in 2016. Since a special permit from the health ministry is needed for a prescription, only a few Australians have been granted access so far. CBD is legal in Australia and is classified as medical cannabis, so it can only be obtained through a special approval scheme and only bought from approved manufacturers. This led to 100,000 Australians having to get CBD illegally for their medical needs.

The Australian government recognized this problem and discussions are underway about fully legalizing CBD.

New Zealand

CBD is legal in New Zealand as long as it's lawfully purchased from a doctor. Medical cannabis products like Sativex are allowed regardless of their THC content, and you can bring up to a month's supply when traveling. Other CBD items must contain less than 2.0% THC, and when traveling, up to a three-month supply is allowed.

Canada

Canada legalized medical cannabis in 2001 and recreational cannabis in 2018. Each province in Canada was given the autonomy to set the details for buying recreational cannabis, like age requirements and possession limits. However, the Canadian Cannabis Act of 2018 only legalized cannabis in fresh, dried, oil, or seed form—not extracts and edibles. Here, CBD oil is considered an extract, and even though it can be bought without a prescription in most provinces, it's still technically illegal unless it's for medical purposes.

Mexico

Medical cannabis products with less than 1% THC are legal in Mexico, but until 2020 there was no access to products because licenses for production had just started being issued. CBD is not classified as medical cannabis and can be bought online or from over-the-counter vendors.

Conclusion

Anyone who took the time to read this article to the end will have realized that the legal foundations of cannabis and its by-products are as diverse as the world itself. As a rule of thumb: If you're not sure about the laws in a particular country, don't take any risks and don't travel with CBD.