CBD products have become far more diversified from just regular CBD oil in the last decade. While it used to be the case that you could only get your hands on CBD tinctures, you can now find all manner of different consumption methods.
One of the most popular recent additions to the CBD marketplace is CBD edibles. These are not only incredibly convenient and simple to use, but they are also usually packed with flavor and make the process of taking CBD a lot more fun.
However, if you live in the UK, where do you stand when it comes to CBD edibles? Are CBD edibles legal in the UK?
What Are CBD Edibles?
Understanding what CBD edibles are is the first step in understanding their legality and place in the UK.
‘CBD edible’ is a pretty broad term, as it covers any type of CBD product that you eat with CBD in it. This means that CBD edibles include things like CBD gummies, another popular type of CBD product, but also things like CBD brownies and even CBD lollipops.
The base of all CBD edibles is the same. However, cannabidiol is extracted from hemp plants. The hemp plants undergo an extraction process known as CO2 extraction, whereby carbon dioxide is heated up to a supercritical temperature.
This allows it to change its state, becoming the halfway point between a gas and a liquid. It extracts the CBD from the hemp without bringing with it other undesirable compounds.
CO2 also extracts other cannabinoids and terpenes, so if a manufacturer stops here, you end up with full-spectrum CBD. If you put the extracted CBD through another process known as winterization, you can filter out even more unwanted cannabinoids and terpenes.
This will eventually create CBD isolate, an entirely pure, concentrated form of CBD, ensuring that your edibles will only contain CBD and nothing else.
Whichever type of CBD is used, either full spectrum or isolate, it is mixed in with the other ingredients to make CBD edibles.
CBD edibles are easily the most diverse type of CBD products. This is what has led to CBD edibles’ massive rise in popularity; with so many different options to choose from, it naturally becomes an attractive option.
The thing you need to watch out for, however, is the THC content in your CBD edibles.
What Does THC Level Have to Do with the Legality of CBD Edibles?
CBD edibles – and CBD products in general – are in an exciting position in the UK because they are technically legal.
Despite the UK government’s general fear of all things cannabis, it is entirely legal to enjoy CBD edibles of any type. However, the issue you need to keep in mind is that CBD edibles sometimes contain a very small amount of THC.
Within UK law, CBD products are considered a food supplement, so long as they contain less than 0.2% THC by weight.
THC is responsible for the psychoactive properties of cannabis and is rightly considered the more dangerous cannabinoid within all cannabis plants. The low limit of 0.2% THC means that you need to be especially careful how much THC is in your CBD edibles.
Unless you are buying CBD edibles made from CBD isolate, you are always going to end up with just a little bit of THC in the final product. The problem comes from those trying to buy CBD products overseas, especially from countries or states with a higher legal THC limit.
The only real way to know is always to ensure you are buying from well-trusted retailers. The very best retailers, like Provacan, offer all customers detailed and comprehensive lab reports.
These lab reports are independent, third-party tests that demonstrate precisely what the cannabinoid content of each individual product is. By using these lab reports, you can not only be sure that you are supporting a good company, but also that you aren’t going to be at risk of breaking the law.
Final Thoughts: Are CBD Edibles Legal in the UK?
Edible CBD might only be a new thing as far as the cannabis industry is concerned, but it is quickly going to continue to grow and become ever more popular.
Thanks to the stringent controls placed on cannabis products in the UK regarding THC limits, it is more important than ever to remain vigilant and only buy from the very best.
Make sure you know what it is that you are buying, its precise cannabinoid content, and where it comes from. As long as you do all that, you shouldn’t be at any risk of breaking UK law.