New CBD Italy Decrees: Italy CBD Narcotic Information

It is strange to see the words “CBD” and “narcotic” in the same title. After all, cannabidiol is renowned for its ability to deliver hemp goodness without the high. Still, Italy has decided that it might want to add CBD to its list of medicines created with active narcotic ingredients.

Pure CBD products, like our premium CBD Guru selection, contain 0% THC. These lab-verified THC-free items cannot produce a psychoactive effect! However, it seems as though Italy wanted to restrict access to the sale of CBD, and leveraging its association with psychoactive cannabis plant varieties was likely the best way to do so.

Is CBD Oil Legal In Italy?

So, what now? Is CBD legal in Italy still?

New Italy CBD regulations were released on October 15th of 2020. These restrictions, included in a decree made by the Italian Ministry of Health, would prevent the sale of all oral CBD products. 

However, this ban, intended to go into action on October 30th, was thwarted before going into action. The Ministry of Health released an updated decree on the 28th, which revised its decision to ban the sale of cannabidiol on the open market. 

This initial decree went on to say that the Ministry of Health wanted to seek the counsel of the Italian Higher Institute of Health and the Higher Council of Health. Their statements indicate that there is concern over the psychoactive potential of large CBD dosages.

Cannabidiol is well known to be non-psychoactive, even when taken in large amounts exceeding 1000mg per day. It is important to note that it is not recommended to consume this volume of CBD unless directed by a medical professional.

The UK’s FSA has stated that healthy adults can enjoy up to 70mg of CBD daily. This 70mg can be spread out between any administration methods and dosages as you choose. As this natural product has such a strong track record of safe, inebriation-free use, it is puzzling when it’s sale almost becomes restricted, despite its growing popularity.

Motivations for the New Decrees

While it does seem that the Italian Ministry of Health is paying attention to the backlash produced by their actions, it is still troubling that they are looking to seek more counsel on how to classify CBD. 

The World Health Organization removed CBD from its list of narcotic and psychotropic drugs back in 2018. They have also indicated that cannabidiol should be sold freely, so long as it contains under 0.2% THC per dry weight of the product in question. 

Hemp flowers themselves even produce these limited THC amounts! While we go the extra mile, creating broad-spectrum CBD Guru items with 0% THC, it is useful to know that even raw hemp flowers contain WHO compliant THC concentrations. This new decree would have blatantly flown in the face of the WHO’s science-backed decisions. 

Additional statements indicate that the Italian Medicines Agency would be the only group allowed to produce oral CBD products in the future. Coupled with the decree, this news clarifies that these Italian agencies would like to possess a pharmaceutical monopoly over their cannabidiol industry.

While news of the first ban circulated, the Italian Customs Agency warned retailers not to sell CBD featuring products. Still, the fate of cannabis light products was unclear, as it was not explicitly addressed in the decree or by the customs agency’s statement. This hyper-focus on banning oral CBD extracts instead of raw flowers also makes it appear as if relevant agencies are seeking to cut-out the competition.

Prescription CBD

Currently, there is only one prescription CBD product available. This item is a 10% CBD oil, prepared in a 100ml bottle. This preparation is known as Epidolex, and it is produced by GW Pharmaceuticals here in the UK.

Epidolex has been cleared by the FDA and is currently being prescribed in the US. Additionally, GW Pharmaceuticals distributes across much of Europe, including the UK, Germany, Spain, and France. There have been recent indications that GW has been eyeing the Italian market as well. Perhaps this would-be CBD ban could have paved the way for these prescription formulas to be sold at marked-up prices to clients in need. 

We hope that Italy chooses to keep CBD in its current, non-narcotic status. Open access to CBD will support Italy’s people while promoting a valuable, growing industry that can deliver invaluable jobs across the nation. So long as their judgment remains unclouded, the Italian Ministry of Health will undoubtedly recognize the potent and benign nature of these non-psychoactive CBD formulas.