2nd October 2024: India: A Delhi-based startup, Awshad, has identified anxiety, insomnia, and mental endurance as major factors driving the demand for CBD in the country. The founders believe there is a significant gap in the market for mental well-being solutions in India, which CBD products could potentially fill. CBD oil and other products are legal in India, as long as they are produced from approved industrial hemp and contain less than 0.3% THC.
30th September 2024: Germany: The German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has reported an increased number of CBD foods, which are considered novel foods, being notified to the European Rapid Alert System (RASFF). Out of 90 products reported in 2023, 44 were notified by the German authorities. The authorities reported that the products are particularly attractive to children, such as chewing gum, honey and soft drinks.
19th September 2024: Japan: The government has released guidance on THC limits for CBD products following a public consultation launched in May of this year. Despite the fact that the Ministry of Health made minor adjustments to the initially proposed limits, they remain among the strictest in the world. Yuji Masataka, one of the first specialists in medical cannabis in Japan, stated that products such as broad-spectrum or vapes might struggle to comply with the new regulations, which could lead to a shift towards isolate products or synthetic CBD.
16th September 2024: EU: The European Commission (EC) has published its 2023 annual report on food safety alerts and agri-food fraud investigations, which facilitates cooperation and an information exchange between member states on official controls in the agri-food chain. The report says 20 CBD food applications have been deemed valid by the Commission and are currently undergoing risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The report also says that, in 2023, 128 cases of cannabinoids were reported as suspected fraud in food, with two-thirds of these involving CBD. The EC suggested member countries to act accordingly.
12th September 2024: Italy: The Regional Administrative Tribunal (TAR) has suspended the decree from July 2024 that places “the compositions for oral administration of cannabidiol obtained from Cannabis extracts” in the medicines table of the Narcotics Act. The tribunal will rule on the decree’s legitimacy on 16th December.
12th August 2024: China: The Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the General Administration of Customs, and the National Medical Products Administration announced that CBD will be listed in the “Catalogue of Classification and Types of Precursor Chemicals” as a Category II precursor chemical. Although there are many unknowns about the implications of this reform, it could provide a legal pathway for the production and distribution of CBD if strict regulatory requirements, such as filing and record-keeping requirements, are satisfied.
6th August 2024: Lithuania: The State Consumer Rights Protection Service (VVTAT) has fined the company Pas Bobutę €500 for selling CBD products (CBD face serum, CBD body oil, CBD hemp oil and CBD body balm) without the required certificates and test protocols. The VVTAT decision may be appealed in court within 30 calendar days.
2nd August 2024: Canada: This autumn, Health Canada is expected to publish a policy consultation document on the potential market for cannabis health products which would not require practitioner oversight, especially for those products containing CBD. If permitted, cannabis health products would be cannabis-containing products that can make health claims to treat minor ailments and that could be obtained without needing to first consult a health practitioner (that is, over the counter instead of by prescription). More details are provided in our Canada regulatory report.
9th July 2024: Italy: The Ministry of Health has issued a decree that repeals the previous decree that placed “the compositions for oral administration of cannabidiol obtained from Cannabis extracts” in the medicines tables of the Narcotics Act. The repealed decree was awaiting the Regional Administrative Tribunal (TAR) decision on its legitimacy, scheduled for September 2024. The new decree reproduces the same wording, placing “the compositions for oral administration of cannabidiol obtained from Cannabis extracts” in the medicines tables of the Narcotics Act. This decree demonstrates, once again, the hard-line stance against cannabis embraced by the current government under prime minister Giorgia Meloni. We expect industry associations to appeal the decree before the TAR.
19th June 2024: Austria: The Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection has issued a health warning against the vaping products “CBD cartridge, Bedtime” and “CBD cartridge, Energize” from the manufacturer Euphoria Trade. According to the ministry, if the oil gets into the lungs when inhaled it can lead to serious respiratory diseases, and it has advised consumers not to use the products and dispose of them immediately.
11th June 2024: US - Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources recently issued a notice to stakeholders that the addition of CBD or THC to food and beverages is illegal, citing the stance of the US Food and Drug Administration on these food additives. State authorities have historically deferred to federal law on this issue, so it may not represent a policy change. However, the notice could serve as a warning for upcoming enforcement action. Authorities note, though, that the notice does not affect edible cannabis products that are regulated by the state Cannabis Control Commission.
5th June 2024: France: The National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) published a decision to classify new cannabinoids on the list of narcotics. As of 3rd June, the following cannabinoids are listed as narcotics: H2-CBD, H4-CBD, any cannabinoids derived from benzo[c]chromene (excluding cannabinol (CBN) and CBD), and eight other synthetic cannabinoids.