cbd guide

Good news: CBD oil is legal in the UK. The active compound, CBD, is not a restricted substance in the UK, unlike THC or CBN. You can consume as much (or as little) as you like, and it’s not against the law to either possess or sell it. That’s because CBD (cannabidiol) won’t get you ‘high’, or affect your body in any similar way. It’s THC which is regulated.

The issue is that CBD is a chemical. To make CBD oil, you have to strip away everything you don’t need from the hemp. This means the fibre, plant cells and other unnecessary chemicals. Even in the oils where these things are left in (full spectrum CBD oils), you still need to process the hemp until you’re mostly left with just the CBD.

CBD oil that contains THC is known as full spectrum CBD oil. It is the end product of the solvent extraction process when applied to hemp. Nothing is added to, or taken from the oil before it’s sold as full-spectrum oil.

The kind of CBD oil with the most THC is full spectrum oil. ‘Full spectrum’ means that it contains every cannabinoid that is naturally found in industrial hemp, THC included. It can legally contain 0.2% THC by volume. Broad spectrum oil is full spectrum oil that is treated to remove THC and several other compounds from the mixture. Both kinds of oil are legal.

CBD oil has a long shelf life of between one and two years. It’s a natural product, which means it will always go bad eventually. It can either spoil (go bad because of bacteria) or go stale (because of air and/or sunlight). Stale CBD can still be taken but may not have all the beneficial effects of fresh oil. Spoiled oil must be replaced.