Regulatory report: EU narcotics law leaves question mark over future of CBD

Confusion over whether CBD should be considered a narcotic drug has developed into a major question mark over the substance’s future in Europe.

Based on a plain reading of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961 Convention), the European Commission (EC) considers CBD that is extracted from a cannabis plant a narcotic, and therefore its Directorate-General for Health (DG Santé) has placed a hold on novel food applications for non-synthetic CBD products until a final decision is made.