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CBD Regulation in the United Kingdom

How is CBD regulated in the UK? Drug law, food rules and driving rules also differ by region. A dated summary based on official sources.

Last checked: Based on official sourcesNot legal advice.

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At a glance

At a glance
TopicStatus
Pure CBDAccording to the Home Office, isolated pure CBD is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. THC and other cannabinol derivatives are Class B drugs.[1]
CBD productsUnless a product meets the “exempt product” definition, a Home Office license is needed to import, export, supply, produce or possess it. Under the definition, no component part of the product may contain more than 1 mg of a controlled drug.[1, 2]
The 1 mg thresholdThe Home Office measures the threshold against the container (for example, a bottle of oil), not the typical dose.[1, 3]
Food and supplements containing CBDNovel food: authorization is needed before sale. As of November 3, 2026, we found no authorized CBD food in any region. Products on the FSA’s Public List may stay on the market in England and Wales while decisions are pending; that is not an authorization.[4, 5, 6, 7]
Authorization decisionThe FSA’s September 2026 Board paper proposes recommending three high-purity CBD products to ministers; as of November 3, 2026, no ministerial decision has been announced. In Scotland, the Food Standards Scotland (FSS) consultation closed on June 16, 2026, and we found no decision.[6, 8]
FSA and FSS adviceFor healthy adults, no more than 10 mg of CBD a day from food (October 12, 2023). This is not a personal dose recommendation, and not a sales authorization.[7, 9]
Prescription medicine and medical cannabisEpidyolex is a prescription CBD medicine. A CBD product that makes a medicinal claim is treated as a medicine by the MHRA. Only clinicians on the GMC specialist register can prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use.[10, 11, 12]
Drug drivingIn England, Wales and Scotland the limit is 2 micrograms of THC per liter of blood; CBD is not in the table. Northern Ireland has no set limit; driving while impaired through drugs is an offense.[13, 14, 15, 16]
Industrial hempLicenses cover only seed and fiber; leaves and flowers are not permitted. The THC threshold for licensed varieties is 0.2% in law; the Government has said it intends to raise it to 0.3%, which, as of November 3, 2026, is not yet law.[17, 18, 19]
Pending draftThe order that would bring THC acids and ten named cannabinoids under Class B is a draft; as of November 3, 2026, it is not in force.[20, 21]

Drug law: pure CBD is not controlled, products face the “exempt product” test

According to the Home Office, pure CBD, as an isolated substance, is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. THC and other cannabinol derivatives, however, are Class B drugs, and cannabis itself stays Class B.[1, 12]

Section 5(1) of the Act makes it unlawful to possess a controlled drug unless regulations made under section 7 allow it.[22]

The real question is products. The Home Office says it is nearly impossible to extract CBD from the cannabis plant, or to make it synthetically, without traces of controlled cannabinoids such as THC, so CBD products are highly likely to contain them. A Home Office license is required to import, export, supply, produce or possess a CBD preparation or product unless it meets the “exempt product” definition. A product that meets the definition is not subject to these prohibitions.[1]

Under regulation 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, an “exempt product” must meet these conditions:

  • It is not designed for administration of the controlled drug to a human or animal.[2]
  • The controlled drug cannot be recovered by readily applicable means or in a yield that is a risk to health.[2]
  • No component part of the product or preparation contains more than one milligram of the controlled drug.[2]

The Home Office says all three limbs must be met, and that it is decided case by case. It expects testing by an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory and expects producers to be able to show that delta-9-THC, delta-8-THC and CBN are each under 1 mg. It does not advise on individual products and is not an enforcement agency.[1]

The Home Office writes that it measures the 1 mg threshold against the container (such as a bottle of oil), not the typical dose. The Government Chemist’s analytical guidance of January 13, 2021, which applies to materials and products used for cosmetics or novel foods, likewise uses the container (bottle or packet) as the unit for the 1 mg threshold.[1, 3]

The FSA’s summary of stakeholder responses (September 3, 2026) says the 1 mg THC per container threshold is set under Home Office drugs legislation and is not an FSA proposal; stakeholders criticized it as impractical.[23]

The recommended 50 microgram limit: a recommendation, not law

In December 2021, the ACMD, the Government’s drugs advisory council, recommended that each controlled phytocannabinoid in consumer CBD products should not exceed 50 micrograms per unit of consumption, to be implemented by amending the 2001 Regulations. This is a recommendation, not law.[24]

In its response of October 24, 2023, the Government said it accepted this recommendation and intends to bring forward legislation, subject to Parliamentary approval. As of November 3, 2026, we found no such legislation, so the test that applies today is still the 1 mg per container exempt-product test.[25]

CBD in food: the novel food rules

In England and Wales, the FSA treats CBD extracts, CBD isolates (highly purified CBD) and synthetic CBD, together with the products they are added to, as novel foods. Novel foods need authorization before they can be sold.[4]

The FSA’s “Public List” is a register of CBD products whose novel food application was received by March 31, 2021. Products that do not reformulate can stay on the list while the application they are linked to is decided. According to the list page dated April 13, 2026, products marked “Validated” or “Awaiting evidence” may stay on the market in England and Wales pending further consideration; products not on the list, or marked “Removed,” must be withdrawn, and enforcement stays with local authorities.[4, 5]

The list is not an authorization: the FSA says CBD products remain unauthorized novel foods, and it advises local authorities to focus enforcement on products that are not on the Public List.[6]

The FSA also says CBD food products containing controlled cannabinoids must be “exempt products” as described above, and that products that are not should be referred to the police.[4]

According to the FSA guidance, a food business that is unsure whether a food is novel must submit a consultation request (an Article 4 request) before bringing the product to market; in Northern Ireland, the European Commission assesses these requests.[4]

Some hemp foods are not treated as novel because of their history of consumption: hemp seeds, hemp seed oil, ground hemp seeds and partially defatted hemp seeds.[4]

The first three authorizations: no decision yet

The FSA ran a consultation from August 28, 2025, to November 20, 2025, on authorizing three high-purity CBD products as novel foods (RP 7, synthetic CBD; and RP 350 and RP 427, CBD isolates) for England, Northern Ireland and Wales.[26]

In its summary of stakeholder responses (September 3, 2026), the FSA records that no decisions have been made on the authorization of the CBD products covered by the consultation.[23]

The FSA’s September 2026 Board paper, prepared for the meeting of September 16, 2026, recommends that the FSA advise ministers in England and Wales to authorize the three products; according to the paper, the final decision rests with ministers. It estimates that about 3,000 products on the Public List are linked to the three applications. If ministers agree, the authorizations would be a regulatory first for Great Britain.[6]

We found no record in official sources of what the Board decided on this recommendation, and as of November 3, 2026, no ministerial decision has been announced.[6]

The same paper says that, if a UK-EU SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) agreement is concluded without a specific exception, EU authorizations would in future cover the whole of the UK and GB authorizations would cease to apply; negotiations were still underway.[6]

The FSA and FSS advice of 10 mg a day

Since October 12, 2023, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have advised healthy adults to limit CBD from food to 10 mg a day; the earlier advice (February 2020) was 70 mg. This figure is the agencies’ safety advice to the public: it is not a personal dose recommendation, and it is not a sales authorization.[7, 9]

In the same announcement, the agencies said that, on the data they had assessed, there is no acute safety risk from more than 10 mg a day, but that above this level there is evidence of some adverse effects on the liver and thyroid if consumed chronically; these effects are reversible if CBD is stopped.[9]

The agencies describe this as precautionary advice. It rests on the safety data that industry submitted in novel food applications, as reviewed by a joint subgroup of two independent scientific committees (the Committee on Toxicity, COT, and the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes, ACNFP); that advice covers a specific subset of CBD products, and the agencies chose to apply the recommendation to all CBD products as a precaution. The earlier (2020) figure rested on limited evidence from studies of CBD as a medicine.[9]

The FSA and FSS advise that children, pregnant or breastfeeding people and people taking medication should not take CBD without medical direction.[7, 9]

In the FSA’s authorization consultation, the same 10 mg appears as the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0.15 mg/kg body weight a day for a healthy 70 kg adult. The FSA guidance also gives a “safe upper limit” of 70 micrograms a day of delta-9-THC from food; this is an FSA safety figure, not a legal limit.[4, 26]

Scotland and Northern Ireland: separate paths

The FSA’s CBD guidance and the Public List apply to England and Wales.[4]

In Scotland, food rules are the responsibility of Food Standards Scotland. The FSS states that, as of November 3, 2026, no CBD food has yet been authorized as a novel food in Scotland. It also ran its own consultation, from March 24 to June 16, 2026, on three CBD products (synthetic CBD, CBD isolate and isolated CBD from hemp); Scottish Ministers will use it in their decision making. As of November 3, 2026, we found no decision by Scottish Ministers.[7, 8]

In Northern Ireland, CBD food products are unauthorized novel foods; the FSA guidance states this separately from its England and Wales section and says the European Commission assesses consultation requests.[4]

For comparison: in February 2026, EFSA, the EU’s food safety agency, calculated a provisional safe level of about 2 mg a day (for a 70 kg adult) for CBD used as a supplement that is at least 98% pure. This is a separate assessment made by EFSA for the EU; it is not a personal dose recommendation, and not a sales authorization.[27]

CBD in the European Union

The prescription CBD medicine and medical cannabis

According to the MHRA, CBD products used for medical purposes are medicines; a CBD product that makes a medicinal claim falls within the definition of a medicinal product under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. Medicinal products must hold a marketing authorization to be sold, supplied or advertised in the UK.[11]

The NHS names three cannabis-related medicines (the page was last reviewed on May 27, 2022; the next review was due on May 27, 2025): Epidyolex for Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes, nabilone for chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting, and nabiximols (Sativex), which it says is licensed in the UK for adults with MS-related muscle spasticity that has not got better with other treatments.[10]

NICE guideline NG144 (updated March 22, 2021) refers to cannabidiol (with clobazam for Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes) and, for tuberous sclerosis complex, as an option in NICE technology appraisals. The same guideline advises clinicians not to offer CBD to adults for chronic pain except in a clinical trial, and describes a trial of THC:CBD spray as an option for moderate to severe MS-related spasticity. These are NICE’s clinical recommendations to clinicians, not personal advice to readers.[28]

According to the NHS, cannabis-based medicine can be prescribed on the NHS only by a specialist hospital doctor, and only when other treatments were not suitable or had not helped (rare severe epilepsy, MS spasticity, chemotherapy nausea and vomiting).[10]

Since November 1, 2018, cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans have been in Schedule 2 of the 2001 Regulations; other cannabis-containing products stay in Schedule 1, and cannabis remains Class B. Only clinicians on the specialist register of the General Medical Council (GMC) may prescribe these products; smoking remains prohibited.[12]

What does research show for these conditions? Our guide’s assessment:

The result and strength of evidence are our guide’s assessment for these conditions; they are separate from the medicine’s approval status.

Labels and medicinal claims

The FSA encourages CBD labels to state the acceptable daily intake for an adult (10 mg a day). This is the agency’s safety value, not a personal dose recommendation.[4]

The FSA’s Board paper proposes, as conditions of authorization, warnings for under-18s, pregnant, breastfeeding or conceiving people, people taking medication and people who are immunosuppressed.[6]

According to the MHRA’s statement of April 14, 2025, a CBD product that makes a medicinal claim is treated as a medicinal product and needs a marketing authorization.[11]

CBD in cosmetics and for animals

We found no CBD-specific cosmetics rule on GOV.UK. The Government Chemist’s analytical guidance applies to materials and products used in the supply or manufacture of cosmetic products and uses the container as the unit for the 1 mg threshold.[3]

For animals, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) lists cannabidiol among the substances recognised as medicinal by function, “medicinal at any level” (page updated September 25, 2026). In our reading, this means CBD products for animals need authorization as veterinary medicines.[29]

Industrial hemp

The Home Office industrial hemp license covers only the non-controlled parts of the plant, that is, seeds and fiber or mature stalk. Leaves and flowers are controlled parts of the plant and are not permitted under this light-touch policy (factsheet updated December 18, 2025). The license is for outdoor cultivation. The Home Office licensing guidance covers England, Wales and Scotland; for hemp and CBD licensing in Northern Ireland, we found no official source.[1, 17]

The license is for varieties with a THC content not exceeding 0.2%. That is the figure in regulation 2(2)(a) of the Misuse of Drugs (Licence Fees) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/2497) that sets the lower license fee; the Home Office uses it to identify approved seed varieties and the fee level. As of November 3, 2026, we found no change to this figure in law.[17, 18]

From the 2026 cultivation season, licenses are typically valid for 6 growing seasons. A new application costs £580, a renewal £326 and a compliance visit £1,371 (according to the Home Office guidance updated in December 2025).[17]

On February 11, 2025, the Government said it intends to make the legislative changes needed to raise the industrial hemp THC level from 0.2% to 0.3%; this takes effect only after the legislative changes have been made.[19]

Drug driving and workplace testing

In England and Wales, section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Drug Driving (Specified Limits) (England and Wales) Regulations 2014 set a limit of 2 micrograms of delta-9-THC per liter of blood; CBD is not in the table.[13, 30]

The Act contains a medical defense where the drug was prescribed or supplied for medical or dental purposes, was taken as directed and was lawfully possessed.[30]

Scotland has its own regulations (the Drug Driving (Specified Limits) (Scotland) Regulations 2019), in force since October 21, 2019; the Scottish Government lists the THC limit as 2 micrograms per liter.[14]

In Northern Ireland, driving while impaired through drugs is an offense. nidirect states that there are no set limits for individual drugs and that the offense is determined by how badly affected the driving is (Article 15 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995). As of November 3, 2026, we found no THC-specific blood limit for Northern Ireland.[15, 31, 32]

GOV.UK lists the penalties for drug driving as a minimum 1-year driving ban, an unlimited fine and up to 6 months in prison; it says the limits law does not cover Northern Ireland, but someone unfit to drive could still be arrested.[16]

On drug testing at work, GOV.UK says employers must have consent to test; the page does not mention a statutory workplace THC limit.[33]

Travel and import

According to the Home Office, a Home Office license is needed to import or export a CBD preparation or product unless it meets the “exempt product” definition. The import and export license page is written for companies and organizations and refers to schedules 1 to 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (page updated August 10, 2026).[1, 34]

GOV.UK says schedule 1 drugs cannot be brought into the UK without a license, and that travellers may bring up to 3 months’ supply of a prescribed medicine containing a controlled drug. The page does not mention CBD or cannabis.[35]

Rules differ from country to country; before you travel, you can check the official rules of the country you are going to.

Pending decisions and drafts

None of the following was in force as of November 3, 2026, and for none of them did we find a date in official sources.[6, 8, 19, 21, 25]

Pending:

  • The decision by ministers in England and Wales on the three CBD authorizations the FSA proposes.[6]
  • The decision by Scottish Ministers on the three CBD products (the FSS consultation closed on June 16, 2026).[8]
  • The legislation to implement the 50 microgram test (the Government said on October 24, 2023, that it intends to bring it forward).[25]
  • The legislative changes needed to raise the industrial hemp THC level from 0.2% to 0.3%.[19]
  • The draft Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2026: it would add ten named cannabinoids, including HHC, HHCP and 11-OH-THC, and THC acids A and B to Class B, except where they are contained in cannabis or cannabis resin. It extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and would come into force 28 days after it is made. A new version replaced the draft laid on September 14, 2026.[21]

On May 11, 2026, the Government told the ACMD it had decided to control THC acids as Class B named substances and intends to proceed in accordance with the ACMD’s recommendations on semi-synthetic cannabinoids. The same letter says consumer CBD products can be exempt if they meet the exempt product conditions.[20]

These are drafts or statements of intent; if they become law, this page will be updated.

Frequently asked questions

Is CBD legal in the United Kingdom?

There is no single answer. Pure CBD is not a controlled substance, but a CBD product that does not meet the “exempt product” definition (conditions that include having no more than 1 mg of a controlled drug in any component part) needs a Home Office license. Selling it as food requires novel food authorization, and as of November 3, 2026, we found no authorized CBD food in the UK. Food and driving rules differ between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.[1, 2, 4, 7]

What is an “exempt product,” and is the 1 mg limit a dose?

An exempt product is one that meets all three conditions in regulation 2 of the 2001 Regulations: it is not designed for administration of the controlled drug to a human or animal, the drug cannot be readily recovered, and no component part contains more than 1 mg of a controlled drug. The Home Office measures the 1 mg against the container (for example, a bottle of oil), not the dose.[1, 2]

What does the FSA’s 10 mg a day mean?

It is the upper limit the FSA and Food Standards Scotland have advised since October 12, 2023, for healthy adults taking CBD from food (the earlier advice was 70 mg). It is the agencies’ safety advice; it is not a personal dose recommendation, and not a sales authorization. For children, pregnant or breastfeeding people and people taking medication, the agencies advise not taking CBD without medical direction.[7, 9]

Are the products on the FSA’s Public List authorized?

No. The list covers products whose novel food application was received by March 31, 2021; products marked “Validated” or “Awaiting evidence” may stay on the market in England and Wales pending further consideration. The FSA says CBD products remain unauthorized novel foods.[4, 5, 6]

Are the rules in Scotland and Northern Ireland the same as in England?

On drug law, the Home Office’s exempt product test sets the same framework, but food and driving rules differ. For food, the FSA’s CBD guidance applies to England and Wales; Food Standards Scotland covers Scotland, and in Northern Ireland the European Commission assesses requests and CBD foods are unauthorized novel foods. For driving, there is a limit of 2 micrograms of THC per liter of blood in England, Wales and Scotland; Northern Ireland has no set limit.[1, 4, 7, 13, 14, 15]

Is there a drug-driving limit for CBD?

The regulations for England and Wales set a limit of 2 micrograms of delta-9-THC per liter of blood; CBD is not in the table. Scotland’s own regulations also set the THC limit at 2 micrograms per liter. Northern Ireland has no set limit for individual drugs; driving while impaired through drugs is an offense.[13, 14, 15]

Is there a prescription CBD medicine in the UK?

Yes: the NHS lists Epidyolex, prescribed for seizures in Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes. It also names nabilone for chemotherapy-related nausea and nabiximols (Sativex) for MS-related spasticity. On the NHS, cannabis-based medicines can be prescribed only by a specialist hospital doctor.[10]

What does the hemp license cover?

The Home Office industrial hemp license covers only seed and fiber or mature stalk; leaves and flowers are not permitted. The THC threshold for licensed varieties is 0.2% in law; the Government has said it intends to raise it to 0.3%, but as of November 3, 2026, that has not changed in law.[17, 18, 19]

Timeline

  1. Medicinal cannabis products moved to Schedule 2

    Cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans moved to Schedule 2 of the 2001 Regulations; prescribing is limited to clinicians on the GMC specialist register.[12]

  2. Drug-driving limits took effect in Scotland

    Scotland’s own regulations came into force; the THC limit is 2 micrograms per liter.[14]

  3. Public List application date

    The last date by which a novel food application had to be received for a product to qualify for the FSA’s CBD Public List.[4]

  4. FSA and FSS advice lowered to 10 mg

    The advised daily limit for healthy adults taking CBD from food was lowered from 70 mg to 10 mg.[9]

  5. Government response to the ACMD

    The Government said it accepted the 50 microgram recommendation and intends to legislate; as of November 3, 2026, we found no legislation.[25]

  6. Government response on the hemp THC level

    The Government said it intends to make the legislative changes to raise the industrial hemp THC level from 0.2% to 0.3%.[19]

  7. MHRA statement

    The MHRA published its statement that CBD products making a medicinal claim are medicinal products.[11]

  8. FSA authorization consultation opened

    A consultation on three high-purity CBD products began; it closed on November 20, 2025.[26]

  9. FSS consultation opened

    Food Standards Scotland’s consultation on three CBD products began; it closed on June 16, 2026.[8]

  10. Government letter to the ACMD

    The Government said it had decided to control THC acids as Class B named substances.[20]

  11. FSA summary of stakeholder responses

    The FSA recorded that no decisions had been made on authorizing the CBD products covered by the consultation.[23]

  12. First version of the draft order laid

    The first draft of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2026 was laid; it was later replaced by a new version.[21]

  13. FSA Board paper

    The FSA’s September 2026 Board paper proposes advising ministers in England and Wales to authorize three CBD products; as of November 3, 2026, no ministerial decision has been announced.[6]

Sources

Show 35 references
  1. Home Office: Drug licensing factsheet: cannabis, CBD and other cannabinoids (updated October 3, 2024)
  2. The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, regulation 2 (interpretation: “exempt product”)
  3. Government Chemist: Guidance on analytical limits for controlled cannabinoids (January 13, 2021)
  4. Food Standards Agency (FSA): Cannabidiol (CBD) guidance (GOV.UK, updated August 28, 2026)
  5. FSA: Register of CBD products linked to novel food applications (last updated April 13, 2026)
  6. FSA September 2026 Board meeting: CBD novel food applications: recommendations to ministers on first authorisations
  7. Food Standards Scotland (FSS): Cannabidiol (consumer advice)
  8. Food Standards Scotland: Consultation on applications for authorisation of regulated products: Three CBD products as novel foods
  9. Food Standards Scotland and Food Standards Agency update consumer advice for CBD (October 12, 2023)
  10. NHS: Medical cannabis (last reviewed May 27, 2022)
  11. MHRA statement on products containing cannabidiol (CBD) (April 14, 2025)
  12. Home Office Circular 018/2018: Rescheduling of cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans
  13. The Drug Driving (Specified Limits) (England and Wales) Regulations 2014, regulation 2
  14. Scottish Government: Drug limits (Drug driving and medicine: advice for healthcare professionals)
  15. nidirect: Driving in Northern Ireland
  16. GOV.UK: Drug driving law
  17. Home Office: Low THC cannabis (industrial hemp) licensing factsheet (updated December 18, 2025)
  18. The Misuse of Drugs (Licence Fees) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/2497), regulation 2
  19. Government response to ACMD advice on reform to hemp licensing fees (February 11, 2025)
  20. Further response letter from Sarah Jones MP to the ACMD (May 11, 2026)
  21. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2026 (draft)
  22. Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, section 5
  23. FSA: Summary of stakeholder responses: consultation on CBD novel food authorisation (September 3, 2026)
  24. Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD): Consumer cannabidiol (CBD) products report (accessible version, updated October 24, 2023)
  25. The Government's response to the ACMD's advice on Consumer Cannabidiol (CBD) products (letter of October 24, 2023)
  26. FSA: Consultation pack on applications for authorisation of 3 CBD food products as novel foods
  27. EFSA NDA Panel: Update of the statement on safety of cannabidiol as a novel food. EFSA Journal 2026;24(2):e9862 (published February 9, 2026)
  28. NICE: Cannabis-based medicinal products, guideline NG144 (updated March 22, 2021)
  29. Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD): Substances recognised as medicinal by function in veterinary medicines (updated September 25, 2026)
  30. Road Traffic Act 1988, section 5A
  31. nidirect: Drug driving
  32. The Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, article 15
  33. GOV.UK: Being monitored at work: workers' rights: Drug testing
  34. GOV.UK: Controlled drugs: import and export licences (updated August 10, 2026)
  35. GOV.UK: Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs

Other countries

CBD laws by country · CBD in the United States · CBD in the European Union · CBD in Canada · CBD in Turkey (in Turkish, on cbd.com.tr)

About this page

This page is a plain summary of official texts; it is meant to inform and is not a substitute for legal advice. Rules can change and differ from place to place: before you decide, we suggest checking the official text and, if needed, talking to a lawyer. If you spot a change or an error, let us know through our contact form.