How UK Legal CBD Changed My Life For The Better

Is CBD in the UK Legal?
CBD products are legal in the UK as long as they meet certain criteria, such as containing 0% THC. These products can be sold at 'high street shops' provided they are in compliance with EU regulations and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations.
However there are a few high-street and online sellers are reputable and safe products. This guide from CBD RAIDERS can help you to understand what to look for.
Legality
The UK CBD market has grown largely because of the availability of high-quality non-psychoactive marijuana. However there are a variety of questions regarding the legality of CBD. The most popular type of CBD is oil, which is found in a range of different products, such as cosmetics and health supplements. These products are often sold online and in stores all over the nation. CBD contains cannabidiol which offers a variety of therapeutic properties. It also contains other phytocannabinoids, like CBG, CBN, and CBC. These phytocannabinoids may help regulate the effects of THC which is the reason for the euphoric feeling that is that are associated with marijuana. THC produces euphoria by activating certain receptors within the mind. These receptors are known as the endocannabinoid systems.
CBD is made from cannabis with low-THC hemp. The hemp plant is grown under the requisite licence in the hope of producing seeds and fibre for commercial purposes such as hemp oil, clothing and construction materials. The stipulations of the licence require farmers to eliminate any part of the plant that contain high levels of THC (flower and buds).
The cannabis industry has discovered ways to avoid the Misuse of Drugs Act. Some companies claim that their products are exempt under an exemption category referred to as 'exempt product.' This exemption only allows for the use of no more than one percent THC in the product and only if certain conditions are met.
This has caused a amount of confusion in the marketplace. Certain vape shops, for example, believe that the THC limit of CBD vape juices is 0.2 percent. This is not the case. The legal limit for THC in CBD vape juice is 1mg per bottle/container.
The Home Office has recently published an article on the legality of CBD. It cites peer-reviewed scientific research and government reports (UK and international), a call for evidence by the ACMD, and past ACMD recommendations. It concludes that the current scenario is not sustainable and suggests that a legal framework for CBD for consumers CBD should be formulated.
Benefits
The UK CBD market is growing and there is a growing curiosity about the potential health benefits of this cannabinoid. It is a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid that is found in edibles, capsules and drinks and vaping liquids. You can also find it in hemp oil sold in health food stores and on the high-street. Some unscrupulous producers have profited from the acclaim of their product by making false claims about its benefits. It is essential to make sure that consumers know the distinctions between the various kinds of CBD.
The CBD used in a lot of UK's CBD products originates from a cannabis plant called Industrial Hemp or Cannabis Sativa L. This plant is grown under a licence for low-9-THC cannabis that can be used for seeds and fibres. It is also used in clothing, paper rope, construction materials. Farmers are required by law to destroy plants that contain more than 1 mg THC. This is a requirement of the licence because tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a psychoactive and can cause an 'high' sensation.
CBD which is derived from this plant does not have psychoactive effects, however it still contains phytocannabinoids such as CBN, THC and CBC. These phytocannabinoids don't have any physical or mental effects, but they can help regulate the balance of neurotransmitters within the body. This helps to promote calmness and decreases the risk of anxiety and depression.
In contrast to THC which is a drug that is not legal for general sale, the phytocannabinoids in CBD are not controlled, and so they can be sold legally. However it is true that the UK isn't yet embracing this and it will require some time for regulations to change and the market to grow.
In the meantime, Trading Standards are monitoring the market and may take any product that makes health or medical claims without a valid Novel Food authorisation from the FSA. The Chartered Institute of Trading Standards is also surveying the market and this may include laboratory testing of CBD products that are sold in shops.
Dosage
The CBD that is offered in the UK as a health supplement, food product and in vapes (cigs) is mainly from 'Industrial hemp' and is also referred to as Cannabis sativa L. Industrial hemp is cultivated for its seeds and fibres and contains a small amount of psychoactive THC. The plant has to be cultivated under a Home Office licence, which only allows cultivation of it for preparations that contain the mature stalk fiber, seeds or fibre not leaves or flowers. To produce CBD for use in consumer products the entire plant has to be processed including the flower and leaves. This produces a product that is referred to as 'CBD isolate' but which still has different amounts of other phytocannabinoids present in the plant.
The concentrations of these other phytocannabinoids can vary among different varieties of cannabis and even between plants grown under the same conditions. There is limited data regarding the psychoactive effects these other phytocannabinoids exhibit at levels that are likely to be present in CBD products for consumers. Therefore, for this reason it was decided it was appropriate to limit the amount of 9-THC and its precursor (9-THCA) in consumer CBD products to levels at which they are unlikely to have significant psychoactive effects.
It was also agreed that no limit should be established for the other controlled phytocannabinoids since it is extremely difficult to measure these, and setting the limit could place unnecessary restrictions on producers. Additionally, there is very little evidence that these other phytocannabinoids have any clinically important effects.
The Working Group concludes by recommending that the maximum amount of 9-THC or 9-THCA per unit of consumption in a CBD product for consumer use be set at 50 milligrams. This limit should also be reviewed every two years. The Working Group also recommends Dstl to analyze the phytocannabinoids controlled in consumer CBD products in order to verify that the limits are adhered to.
The recommendations of the Working Group are based on literature, government reports (UK and international) as well as an ACMD request for evidence (ACMD 2020) and a previous ACMD report. In addition the Group has held discussions with representatives from industry, and with staff from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the Government Chemist's Team.
Safety
The CBD that is available in CBD products in the UK is mostly derived from the Cannabis sativa L plant (hemp). In the UK, hemp is primarily harvested for its fibres. They are used to create clothes, rope, and building materials. CBD oil cost and bud of the plant are not consumed. Farmers are required to eliminate or leave the bud and flowers to rot on their farms. They are allowed to harvest only the seeds and stalks to make hemp oil, tinctures, and other CBD-rich products.
The bulk of consumer CBD products contain a mix of other phytocannabinoids, in addition to CBD. These other phytocannabinoids include trans-dimethyl-tetrahydrocannabinol ( 9 -THC) and other cannabinoids which are regulated under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The level of these phytocannabinoids controlled by the law in the final product is not known since it is difficult to separate them from the consumer CBD products.
In the absence of legislation that requires the testing of controlled phytocannabinoids contained in the foods, the The level of 9-THC in CBD products for consumers can vary widely. A Defence Science and Technology Laboratory study of 43 commercial CBD products found that 16 (37%) contained more than 5mg 9-THC. This can result in psychoactive effects comparable to alcohol units of standard (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, 2020a).
In the UK there is a limit on THC however, there are many other regulations that producers of CBD products must adhere to. For instance, food and drinks containing CBD must be in compliance with the novel food regulation which means that they must be approved by authorities before being sold. This could take as long as an entire year and cost as much as tens of thousands of pounds.
In 2023, CBD oils that comply with UK law can be purchased in the UK provided they do not exceed 1mg of THC per bottle. There are some products that aren't regulated, and are unlikely to remain on the market very long given the evidence. These products that are not regulated can be seized by the police. To avoid this, customers should only buy products from trusted producers.