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Where is CBD Legal?

Written by Julie Godard

Is CBD legal in your country? Where else is CBD legal?
CBD is legal in many countries and most U.S. states, as well. Due to its non-psychotropic effects, CBD is an alternative treatment of choice for many patients who do not tolerate or respond to traditional Western treatments.

Many cultures all over the world have used and currently use cannabis traditionally in medicinal applications, however, many of these traditions have been expanded since the recent re-legalization of the plant. Until recently, cannabis was illegal in the U.S. and Europe, and had been since the turn of the 20th century. The resurgence of legality, research studies, and the desire to treat ailments in more natural ways, has led to a rapidly growing international CBD market that stretches across continents and across the planet in an ever-expanding wave.

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol or “CBD” is sold as an oil which comes from the cannabis or hemp plant that is sold in varying forms including pure oil, capsules containing oil, lotions, edibles, etc… CBD oil does not produce a “high” in consumers, like its counterpart THC, and is therefore considered a safe medical treatment or alternative treatment by many doctors, patients, and people for whom traditional Western treatments do not work.

What is CBD Used For?

CBD is still in the process of being studied for medical applications, and has already been shown to show relief for many medical ailments. Here are some medical conditions that CBD may help with:

Where is CBD Legal?

Although the laws can be confusing, the following map details the basic laws for CBD oil and other medical cannabis products.

Is CBD legal in all 50 states?

CBD is currently legal in many countries and many U.S. states, and the market for CBD is growing more rapidly than most people realize. Here is a list of countries where CBD is legal in some form or another.

  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Cambodia
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Ecuador
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Lesotho
  • Luxembourg
  • Macedonia
  • Malawi
  • Mexico
  • Morocco
  • Netherlands
  • North Korea
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Spain
  • Slovenia
  • Swaziland
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • United States (46 states)
  • Uruguay
  • Zimbabwe

I’ve done my best to include all the countries where medicinal cannabis products like CBD are legal, but it’s a testament to the success and growth of the international CBD market that there may be some that were missed! PR Newswire and Forbes reported that the international CBD market is projected to grow 700% from where it was in 2016, by the year 2020 — that’s a $2.1 billion market, for those of you who are counting. Because CBD oil is derived from hemp, it means the international hemp market is likely to grow exponentially as well. The CBD market in 2017 was $202 million. The Americas dominated the CBD market until around 2017, with other parts of the world joining in the general market space more recently. The largest CBD producers in the world to date include the U.S., Canada, Israel, and Australia. The coming decade may see more legalization in other countries, as more medical and scientific studies are conducted and more and more people see the benefits of CBD oil.

Sources

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/04/23/604307015/anxiety-relief-without-the-high-new-studies-on-cbd-a-cannabis-extract

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5289988/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4851925/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4791148/

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1611618

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5874292/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25237116

http://www.newsweek.com/london-study-cbd-marijuana-smokers-habit-intrusive-thoughts-962445

https://cannadelics.com/2018/06/20/new-study-suggests-cbd-might-be-newest-and-safest-antidepressant/

https://cannabis.net/blog/news/a-guide-to-medical-cannabis-by-country-in-2018

https://cbdorigin.com/is-cbd-legal/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/debraborchardt/2016/12/12/the-cannabis-market-that-could-grow-700-by-2020/#180580c84be1

https://cannadelics.com/2018/05/15/introducing-cbd-myth-vs-fact/

https://www.projectcbd.org/parkinsons-disease

 

 

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About the author

Julie Godard