Is it Legal to Grow CBD Plants in UK?
Is it legal to grow CBD plants in UK? If you’re thinking of producing your very own CBD, assuming you value your freedom and want to stay out of handcuffs then this is a question you’ll probably want to know the answer to!
Safe to use and completely legal, cannabidiol – commonly referred to as CBD – is all the rage right now. Whether you’ve seen it in the newspapers, advertised on the side of buses, or you’ve got that friend who just won’t stop talking about how amazing it is, it feels like CBD is everywhere these days.
So with CBD now such a commonly used product, it’s no wonder more people are starting to think about growing their own. But what’s the legality of growing plants and producing CBD? Is it legal to grow CBD plants in UK? Read on to find out…
Hemp Vs Marijuana – What’s the Difference?
Hemp and marijuana: chances are you’ve heard of both of these plants. But what’s the difference between the two and how do they relate to CBD?
Well, hemp and marijuana plants both come from the same species – the cannabis plant – and each can be used to create cannabidiol. In fact, when it comes to using these plants to manufacture CBD, there’s not a lot of difference between the two. You see, the main distinction between hemp and marijuana is the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content (0.3% and below is considered hemp, while anything above that threshold is categorised as marijuana).
As it contains high levels of THC, growing marijuana plants is obviously illegal. So if you’re looking to cultivate this type of cannabis plant to produce CBD then unfortunately you’ll be breaking the law.
But what about hemp plants? With such a low THC content, you might be wondering whether the law on growing hemp is different.
Is it Legal to Grow Hemp Plants?
Sadly, regardless of THC content, the law fails to differentiate between the two, so the cultivation of both types of cannabis plant – hemp and marijuana – is restricted under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1979.
The law states that those who wish to grow any type of cannabis plant must be in possession of a government-issued licence. If you’re found to be growing hemp or marijuana plants without one then you could face an unlimited fine and up to 14 years in prison.
So now you know the legality of growing cannabis plants, is it worth the risk of being fined, jailed and having a criminal record? We think not – especially when the price of CBD is so reasonable!
We offer CBD oil for as little as £17.49, and our CBD Calm vape liquid starts at just £4.99, so why take the risk of facing such severe punishment when you can pick up some premium-quality CBD for the price of a cup of coffee?
Other Things to Consider
Hopefully the legal repercussions that await anyone caught growing cannabis plants will be enough to put you off the idea. But if by any chance you’re still considering taking the risk, there are some other things you should bear in mind.
The first thing you should know is that producing CBD is incredibly difficult. If you’re planning on making your own CBD oil or powder then it’ll be impossible without very specialist – not to mention very expensive – equipment.
CBD oil is produced using a supercritical CO2 extraction, which allows us to isolate specific compounds from the hemp or cannabis plant. This method uses a closed-loop extractor, which is basically a system for extracting essential oils. Without the required kit to do this, it’d be impossible to manufacture CBD.
So, is it legal to grow CBD plants in UK? Despite CBD being legal, the answer is no and anyone caught doing so could end up in some pretty serious trouble. A word of advice – avoid that criminal record and leave it to the experts!
We also stock CBG – CBD’s lesser-known but no less effective sister cannabinoid. For some more information on that, check out our “CBG Oil – What is it and What Benefits Does it Bring?” blog post.