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The legality of CBD is a topic discussed across the globe. The debate is particularly confusing when it comes to the laws in Ireland. Our goal is always to provide a clear and simple answer to questions like “Is CBD legal in Ireland?”
While the answer is fairly complex, we’ll do our best to break it down in a way that’s easy to understand.
CBD Laws in Northern Ireland – Is CBD Oil Legal in Ireland
We’ll begin with the part that’s easiest to understand. While we’ll primarily be focusing on the Republic of Ireland here, we want to take a minute to discuss Northern Ireland first.
Northern Ireland follows EU laws when it comes to CBD. This means that it is legal as long as the THC concentration is below 0.2%. This is because THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana. It must also be derived from industrial hemp plans that are approved by the EU.
CBD Laws in the Republic of Ireland
Although the Misuse of Drugs Act states that THC is illegal, it does not mention CBD.
With that said, that does not mean it qualifies as legal. Furthermore, the HPRA (Health Products Regulatory Authority) does not classify it as a type of medicine.
Until May of 2019, it was believed that CBD was legal in Ireland, providing that it met the criteria specified in the EU laws.
Recent events, however, have shown that things are more complicated than that.
CBD Crackdown
A number of retailers selling CBD goods were rated. The owners of these establishments were arrested and threatened with prison time, and the products within the store were confiscated.
A minimum of four shops were hit in this raid, with tens of thousands of dollars worth of product confiscated. Because this is the wholesale value of the product, the Garda could classify the worth of the products even higher than that, which means the store owners could be facing prison sentences of 10 years or more.
It’s important to look back at the Misuse of Drugs Act, which was based in 1977. This law banned many types of recreational drugs, and THC was among them.
EU law states that it is acceptable to sell CBD products with trace amounts of THC, but the Misuse of Drugs Act outlaws THC. Irish authorities have apparently deemed CBD products to be illegal because of the 02% THC content that they contain.
According to the Department of Health, they want to prevent events like this in the future, and want to change Irish laws so that CBD is clearly permitted. If they do this, CBD products will be subject to the same restrictions that exist under EU law.
Is CBD Oil Legal in Ireland – Which Is Correct: Irish or EU Law?
This means that Ireland is in an unusual position. The EU and Irish laws are in contradiction with each other. In cases like the ones described above, people are facing prison time and financial losses because the law is not clear.
It can be difficult to determine which law is correct. Clearly, there’s not a clear answer to that question, and it’s likely that questions will remain until the laws change in Ireland. With two different sets of laws, it’s best to play it safe and not do anything that could violate either set of laws according cbdoilireland.ie
Where Do Things Go From Here?
There’s no way to say exactly what will happen when it comes to Ireland’s CBD laws. The laws could change quickly, or they might not change at all. Still, we do have a prediction for the future.
CBD has skyrocketed in popularity across the world. It is a highly profitable industry for businesses, but it can also be lucrative for the government, as they are able to tax these companies. As long as CBD is not officially legal in Ireland, the government will not be able to benefit from that revenue.
Because of this, it’s very likely that the Department of Health will successfully be able to change the law so that EU and Irish laws are no longer in contradiction. This would mean that CBD products could once again be bought and sold in Ireland, providing that they meet EU guidelines.
It’s more difficult to product what will happen to the people that were arrested in the CBD raids.
It’s not clear if the sellers will face prosecution. If they are convicted, it’s unclear if those convictions will stand if the law changes.
No matter what happens next, our advice is to proceed with caution when buying or selling CBD in Ireland. It’s not safe to purchase products in the Republic of Ireland until the laws are made more clear.
We’ll be sure to provide an update when there is fresh news on this topic.
