The legal status of CBD and cannabis oil can be confusing in the UK. Is it legal to take CBD in the UK? And if so, why is cannabis still prohibited? What about medical use?
In this article we’ll save you the hassle of pouring through Home Office legislation and give you the facts regarding the legality of CBD oil in the UK.
For the purpose of this article we’ll stick to UK legislation, as the laws vary significantly around the world.
Related: What is CBD Oil?
Is CBD legal in the UK?
The short answer is yes, CBD is legal in the UK. You can legally take CBD in the UK as well as buy and sell it. Even high street corporations sell CBD products.
But the legality of CBD oil gets a little more complicated than that. There are stipulations in the laws in the UK regarding CBD’s close relative THC.
CBD and THC in the UK
Ok, so CBD itself is 100% legal to consume, buy and sell throughout the UK.
There is even a form of prescription CBD oil available for two severe forms of childhood epilepsy: Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. (This drug is called Epidiolex and has provided new hope for families facing the conditions, which are notoriously challenging to treat).
Related: Can You Get CBD Oil on Prescription?
However, CBD oil, depending on the type, may or may not contain THC. THC is a prohibited substance in the UK, which makes things a little more complicated.
THC confusion in the UK
For a long time, almost everybody thought that the legal limit for THC in the UK was 3%. As in, as long as a product or plant contained less than 3% THC, the product or plant was legal.
However, this has not been the case for some time. The 3% rule is actually about classifying the difference between cannabis and hemp plants, the two distinct strains of Cannabis Sativa-L.
A plant that contains less than 3% THC is a hemp plant, and a plant that contains over 3% is a cannabis plant.
However when it comes to CBD products, the law is different, and the legal limit is actually just 1mg of THC per product.
If a CBD oil does contain THC, it is still legal to take, buy and sell, but the total THC cannot exceed 1mg of THC per container of CBD oil.
It is important to note here that most products on the market – including Holland and Barret’s – contain over that 1mg limit.
This Home Office law isn’t being enforced right now in the UK and is really about preventing the illegal sale of cannabis oil under the guise of CBD oil.
Now I think it’s worth quickly mentioning the significance ‘cannabis oil’ vs CBD oil.
Related: The Difference Between CBD Oil and Cannabis Oil.
Is cannabis oil legal in the uk?
How about cannabis oil?
As we explained above, the legal limit for THC in the UK is 1mg per product, so no, ‘cannabis oil’ is not legal in the UK.
However, CBD is technically cannabis oil, because whether it is made from cannabis or hemp, both plants are Cannabis Sativa-L plants.
Why is CBD oil legal?
We’ve been over the legislation, now for the why. Why is CBD oil legal?
There are several political factors as to why this is the case in the UK.
People need it
Firstly, the government and various regulatory bodies are aware that CBD is widely used and relied upon by many UK citizens. If a person with arthritis cannot access their CBD oil, it could severely affect their quality of life and lead them back to reliance on damaging anti-inflammatory medications.
Related: How Many People Use CBD Oil?
CBD does not show up on a drug test
Does CBD oil show up on a drug test? The answer is no, CBD alone does not show up on a drug test. THC, however, does. And so CBD oils that contain THC could, potentially, show up on a drug tests.
We strongly recommend that anyone who is routinely drug tested for whatever reasons uses THC-free CBD oils, such as broad-spectrum CBD or CBD isolate (which you can buy here). That way you’re 100% in the clear.
Related: The Difference Between Full-Spectrum and Broad-Spectrum CBD Oil.
Related: The Difference Between Full-Spectrum CBD Oil and CBD Isolate.
CBD does not get you high
Can CBD get you high?
The jury is still out on whether or not CBD can be classed as a psychoactive substance since many people use CBD for stress reduction and improved sleep.
However, extensive testing and anecdotal evidence has shown that CBD does not get you high like THC does, and any psychoactive effects, is they are there, are subtle.
So no, CBD does not get you high (not even CBD gummies as many have hoped!) and therefore does not pose a real risk for abuse as far as the Home Office is concerned.
Can you buy CBD oil in the UK?
Yes, since CBD oil is legal in the UK, it is widely available to buy.
There truly are hundreds of options for where to buy CBD oil in the UK, so it can be a challenge to make sure the oil you’re buying is good quality, and not a fake.
Where to buy CBD oil in the UK?
Never buy a CBD oil on Ebay or Amazon – not matter how tempting the prices are. 99% are fake, just containing hempseed or other vegetable oils. This is because both sites have prohibited the sale of CBD (but allow fakes… that makes sense, right?).
We also recommend you avoid any CBD oil sold by corporations such as Holland and Barret or Boots. These companies don’t source the CBD themselves, and know nothing about CBD. The CBD products are generally mass produced and weak, containing very little CBD.
Related: How to Spot Fake CBD Oil.
Buy CBD Oil at Aura CBD Oil UK
Going to a CBD specialist is really your best option. You want to look for a company that knows their stuff, knows where it comes from and sells organic, high-grade extracts. You can also then be sure of the THC content of your oils.
Aura CBD Oil UK is one of the market leaders, and we make sure our CBD oils, pastes, balms and edibles are the very best around. We have thousands of happy, loyal customers who agree.
We make our own CBD extracts, which is why we can keep prices low and fair, by cutting out the various middlemen that other companies have, driving up prices unfairly high.
Every CBD oil we sell is made from either organically grown European hemp or organically grown cannabis from Colorado, USA.
Check out our store here – we also sell edibles, bath and body products and CBD skin balm!
If you liked this article be sure to check out our blog – there you’ll find everything you need to know about CBD. If you have any questions about what we do at Aura you can email us at info@auracbdoil.com or send us a message on Facebook.
