It will no longer be possible to smoke CBD (the three letters for cannabidiol) in France, or even to drink it as a herbal tea. A decree has just appeared in the Official Journal and now prohibits the sale of flowers or leaves of this plant. This new legislation is likely to affect the sector, because nearly 2,000 shops have flourished in recent years in the country.
This is a new step in the legal debate around the hemp trade because France has toughened its legislation in this area. ” In particular, the sale to consumers of raw flowers or leaves in all their forms, their possession and their consumption are prohibited. », Can we read on the decree published this Friday, December 31st.
CBD is a substance with relaxing properties, derived from cannabis. It has no psychoactive effect and is therefore not addictive like THC, or Tetrahydrocannabinol, from the same plant and which remains prohibited. The content of THC, the psychotropic molecule, in CBD should not exceed 0.2% and even if it is derived from hemp (Cannabis sativa L of its scientific name) such as cannabis, therefore CBD is not considered like a drug.
Varieties containing less than 0.2% THC in dry extract (maximum legal rate) are generally referred to as “hemp”, while varieties containing more than 0.2% THC are called “cannabis”. Cannabis selected for therapeutic or recreational use instead contains between 5% and 20% THC.
Flowers and leaves correspond to the majority of products sold by traders in CBD. The text nevertheless authorizes the cultivation and trade of certain varieties of cannabis, but only for the manufacture of cosmetics or food supplements. And this, provided that the products in question contain a maximum of 0.3% THC.
A first ban rejected in 2020
In recent years, the French authorities have closed dozens of shops, but they have come up against European regulations. In 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union rejected the ban on CBD in France, stressing that the molecule could not be considered a narcotic.
For its part, the professional hemp union announces via its president its desire to file an appeal with the Council of State.
►To listen: CBD flirts with the vagueness that surrounds it to better sell