One of the most frequently asked questions by cannabidiol (CBD) users is whether they can travel, nationally or internationally, legally carrying the CBD-based products they habitually consume. This is a major concern, especially for people who are under treatment with CBD and therefore use it on a regular basis. For them, stopping the dosage will mean a setback in the state of health being treated or may even cause unwanted side effects.
Although many countries and states have changed their policy to accept CBD-based products as legal, figuring out if it is legal to reach a specific destination with a cannabidiol product can still be very confusing.
On the one hand, regulation changes from border to border and is constantly updated, making it difficult to track what is currently legal in a particular destination. On the other hand, there are many Buy CBD oil products available with different compositions that are subject to different regulations. For example, a Sarah’s blessing online store can buy CBD oil 3%, 6%, 9% which are full spectrum. Each of these products may be subject to different restrictions in each jurisdiction.
In this article, we will provide key information that may be useful for CBD users who want to travel safely carrying their CBD-based products.
Main concepts and definitions
We begin by introducing what CBD oil-based products are and why many people use them. CBD means Cannabidiol, a compound of a plant called cannabis sativa. This plant has many other compounds, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical known for its intoxicating effects.
CBD and THC come from the same plant and both have an effect on the central nervous system, i.e. they are psychoactive substances. But there is a big difference in what kind of effect each compound has on our body.
While THC produces intoxication that can be associated with euphoria or being “high,” CBD is not at all intoxicating. In contrast, clinical trials have shown that it has therapeutic benefits for treating epilepsy, treating the side effects of cancer and can also improve anxiety, pain, nausea, insomnia and many other conditions or problems. common health problems without relevant side effects.
Public awareness of the healing properties of CBD has led to its popularity among a significant number of people and since then a huge global market has developed globally, leading to changes in regulation.
The fact that most CBD-based products use CBD extracted from hemp, a variant of the sativa cannabis plant, has helped legalize it. Hemp is a fast growing plant that has many industrial uses. It can be refined into fiber to produce paper, clothing, bioplastics and other products and its planting is legal in May countries because it has a very low concentration of THC and has a driving market that provides revenue to national economies.
The WHO report on cannabidiol states that it “shows no indicative effects of any potential for abuse overdose”, so there is no possibility of overdose or addiction to this substance, although CBD is not recommended. for people who are on medication. In addition, CBD is not recommended for people in vulnerable groups unless it is under medical direction. These include pregnant and lactating women.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirmed the status of CBD as a novel food in 2019 and the product has already been added to the European Commission’s catalog of novel foods. Thus, CBD-based products are legal in the UK, but must be labeled as food supplements and must not contain more than 0.2% THC, in order to avoid unwanted side effects on consumers.
Label information
CBD-based oil from trusted stores is labeled with all the information consumers need to avoid health and legal issues. There are two facts that travelers need to pay attention to to see if they can carry this product across a border.
The percentage of CBD in the product. Most CBD-based oil includes different amounts of the substance that are indicated as a percentage. A 10 ml bottle of oil containing 200 mg of CBD, for example, will be labeled as 2% CBD. There are many doses available, the most common being 3% (for mild conditions), 6% (for moderate conditions) and 9% (for chronic conditions).
The UK FSA recommends that healthy adults take no more than 70 mg a day. It is about 28 drops of 5% CBD oil. Although, the doctor’s evaluation is recommended.
Another very important information that should be present on the label is the spectrum of the product. It refers to the range of cannabinoids included in the product. The Sativa cannabis plant has hundreds of cannabinoids and the extraction can be done by selecting all or some of them. Products labeled “full spectrum” are impregnated with all of the plant’s cannabinoids, terpenes, and oils, providing it with complete healing and nutritional properties. Thus, full spectrum products may contain THC. The percentage by which it may be available must be included on the label.
Broad-spectrum CBD oil has all the compounds in the plant except THC and provides a great alternative for people who do not want to experiment with the properties of THC or simply prefer to avoid legal issues. While CBD isolated oil products are infused with pure CBD and no other compound.
Traveling safely
As we said before, CBD is legal in many countries. Hemp and its by-products are legal in the United States, but must contain less than 0.03% THC. Although, in some states it is conditionally legal and for this reason it is recommended to travel with CBD-isolated products to the United States.
In Canada anyone can buy and have CBD legally, even if it is extracted from the sativa cannabis plant. There is no limit to the amount of THC in the product.
Across Europe, CBD Hemp extract is legal in all countries except Slovakia, and although most countries accept products that contain less than 0.02% THC, some states have set different limits. For example, in Austria, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg it is 0.03%; while in Italy it is 0.06% and in Liechtenstein and Switzerland it is 1%.
