Understanding the Legality of CBD In the UK
Over the past several years, CBD oil has entered the mainstream throughout the world. While many people support this supplement, many others dismiss it as another unhelpful entry into the wide world of wellness. CBD, sometimes known as Cannabidiol, is actually derived from the cannabis plant, and that fact alone leads many to question just how legal this product is in the UK and throughout the world.
Why People Consider CBD?
The ingredient in cannabis that leads so many to get high is THC. CBD, in and of itself, has no psychoactive effect the way traditional cannabis does. What it does have, though, is wellness power. Many people today have turned to CBD oil, muscle rubs, and capsules to help manage a number of conditions including chronic pain, PTSD, and epilepsy. While CBD manufacturers make no claims as to the health benefits of their products, and an increasing number of studies have been done that show some real promise against a number of conditions. More study is needed, but it’s possible CBD could help with a range of health conditions that thousands in the UK struggle with each day.
CBD oil, thanks to these studies, is gaining in popularity throughout the UK. Estimates suggest nearly 1.3 million people use it on a daily basis, and that number is expected to increase as research continues.
Understanding the Heart of the Argument Against Legal CBD Oil
Many people claim CBD oil is illegal because it is derived from the cannabis plant. Inside every cannabis plant, you’ll find more than 100 different cannabinoids. These are chemical compounds that actually interact with different receptors in your body, pushing a release of neurotransmitters in your brain. Those neurotransmitters can have different impacts on different bodies, and in certain parts of the cannabis plant, they’re fairly concentrated. Obviously the most well known cannabinoid is THC because it creates the feeling you get after you smoke cannabis. CBD, though, is fast outstripping THC’s fame because studies have suggested you get a range of health benefits without getting high.
A Legal Substance
The Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971 made THC a controlled substance. While medical use is now possible, it’s still fairly rare, and it is very highly regulated. CBD oil is legal for medical use, but the concentration of THC inside helps determine who can have it and who cannot. Low concentration versions, those under .05 percent, are widely available throughout the UK because it remains under government review. That may be changing in the near future, though. The government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has said the rules should change so that doctors can prescribe it more freely given the mounting scientific evidence surrounding this compound. CBD has been recognised as a medication by MHRA, but it must be prescribed to be obtained.
Even lower concentration versions, though, don’t require a prescription, yet studies suggest they offer the same effects that have been continually written about. Specifically, the rules say that CBD oils that are made from agricultural hemp and have less than .2% THC are legal in the UK. They have to be sold under nutritional supplement guidelines. CBD oils that have higher amounts of THC are available by prescription in the UK, and it’s possible that CBD supplements will become increasingly unregulated as time goes on so people can take them as they wish.
Why Doctors Prescribe Higher Concentration Versions
In the UK, more concentrated versions are reserved for those who obtain a prescription, and there are several conditions that are recognised as requiring this kind of prescription. You can obtain a prescription if you’re currently undergoing chemotherapy. You can also obtain one if you have epilepsy. The general rule of thumb is that you have to be suffering from a verifable medical condition to obtain a prescription.
Will The Laws Change Soon?
There’s quite a bit of suggestion that the laws will change in the near future, and that change is going to be a positive one. Home Secretary Sajid Javidi is working to make sure it’s under review, as are many other government officials. As people uncover the real power behind CBD oil, the population throughout the UK will likely fuel that change as well.
For now, CBD oil is indeed legal, and positive changes are on the horizon for this popular supplement.