Holidays with CBD or where can you get the green light?
CBD is a natural and safe compound naturally occurring in the cannabis plant. Many studies have confirmed its potential and wide range of benefits, from which everyone can choose their own. And it does. Some people fight insomnia, others use it as a supplement to boost their immune system, others see CBD as an effective prevention for skin problems or muscle congestion and pain. Users always look at CBD from a different angle and it has become an integral part of their daily routine. Ironically, given how inconspicuous CBD drops are, they attract a disproportionate amount of attention.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also come out in support of CBD oil, stating that it is a safe and harmless substance with no risk of addiction and there is no reason to restrict or ban its production and use. Most European Union countries have taken this position to heart and have gradually relaxed the conditions for dealing with CBD, but there are still enough countries that are trying to set boundaries and keep CBD under control.
Before you go, or as part of your holiday planning, find out up-to-date information on how a country feels about CBD and what limits it recognises for THC content or processing methods. National situations are constantly changing, loosening and tightening due to pressure from pharma, independent organisations and the public, and what was true last year may not be true this year.
On home soil and in Slovakia
At first glance, CBD in the Czech Republic has the green light, with the upper limit for the maximum THC content of CBD products having been raised to 1% as of 1 January 2022 (only Liechtenstein and Switzerland recognise the same level). However, travelling with drops with such parameters can be quite a risky move. On closer inspection, it is clear that the whole issue of the legal framework around CBD products is much more complicated and more or less in line with the European standard.
Just two years ago you could get into trouble in nearby Slovakia. For nearly a decade, CBD oil was blacklisted and considered illegal there. But pressure from the pharmaceutical community and the need to distribute Sativax led to the country finally adopting a slightly looser policy than the rest of Europe, tolerating 0.3% THC in CBD products, where neither production nor use is subject to penalties.
Austria
Another country where people go on holiday all year round is Austria. It has set the same levels as Slovakia and CBD products with up to 0.3% THC are legal there. However, they must not be promoted as food supplements or medicines.
United Kingdom
The UK only allows CBD products with zero THC (now from 2022). Ireland is even stricter, with requirements on the processing method. Cold pressing has the green light, solvents and CO₂ do not.
Italy
CBD is very popular in Italy. There was pressure from the government to restrict production and use, but the case fizzled out. The country is one of the largest producers of hemp in Europe. On the one hand, there is no law legalising cannabidiol products, and on the other there is no law prohibiting them. Only zero CBD content in food supplements is controlled. Everyone is taking advantage of the loopholes. It is in some tourist-exposed regions that the eye tends to be stricter.
France
For several years now, the Gallic cockroach country has been unable to decide how to approach CBD. There can be no question of a single setting. While there is talk of zero tolerance for THC, the Ministry's website states a limit of 0.2%. Among other things, there was a trial of a couple of men who imported CBD from the Czech Republic. The problem was that it was derived from leaves and flowers, which is not allowed in France (only oil from seeds and fibres is allowed). The court found them guilty and the CJEU overturned the decision a little later.
Greece
On one side is mainland Greece, on the other a whole series of islands from Cyprus to Crete, from Mykonos to Rhodes. Each has its own internal regulations, which may not be compatible with the majority position of the country. Greece legalised cannabis products with up to 0.2% THC in 2018 and is now negotiating a slight increase to 0.3%.
Confused USA
CBD is legal in all 50 states, but things have been complicated by the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalised hemp and its products. But in the final analysis, CBD was exempted. It is now widely available in various forms, but this conflicts with the Food and Drug Administration's regulations, which say CBD products are legal but cannot be offered as dietary supplements, food, or animal feed. On the other hand, flowers and products with THC are legal in many states.
Put it in reverse
It would seem that Europe is moving towards CBD and slowly giving up the petty fight against it. Not quite. The list of countries where the compound is illegal is quite long anyway. Poland, which is the most tolerant of CBD and offers chewing gum or gummy candies and beverages alongside mainstream products, is the other extreme compared to countries where CBD is taboo.
- Serbia (prohibition of cannabis and all its derivatives)
- Russia (CBD is banned in Russia regardless of THC content)
- Montenegro (distribution, sale and use of cannabis and related products is taboo)
- Moldova (like most of Eastern Europe puts a stop on CBD, only small amounts are allowed for personal use)
- Iceland (CBD law does not explicitly prohibit but restricts the use of dietary supplements)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (all products are illegal, which greatly complicates trade between Central and Eastern Europe)
- Belarus (the country does not distinguish between forms of cannabis and any form of use is taboo)
- Andorra (possession of cannabis or CBD products for any purpose is illegal, otherwise €1,800 fine or two years in prison)
- Albania (cannabis is not legalised here, conditions for derivatives including CBD tend to be looser but lack anchoring in law)
A practical example: Three years ago we spent two days in Serbia, because of better air connections we had to move across the country from Belgrade to Niš. I wouldn't have thought that a bottle of CBD oil would cause such a stir. It alternated between broken English, Czech swearing and Serbian lamenting and lecturing. After two hours of vetting and showing off what they could do if they wanted to, the airport staff showed genuine interest in CBD. In a darkened room for the criminal element, we traded CBD drops for two shots of rakija. And the gates to the world opened again. It's hard to tell how strictly the bans are enforced. The human factor is unpredictable.
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