Rules for a huge potential market: Germany regulatory snapshot

Germany was one of the first European countries to legalise medical cannabis and is a huge potential market for non-medical CBD, given its population and the range of products already available.

Industrial hemp may be grown under strict conditions if notified to the federal agricultural agency; CBD may be extracted from both home-grown and imported industrial hemp plants, as long as the THC content is less than 0.2%.

Dried flowers are likely to be prohibited and a number of sellers have been prosecuted under existing narcotics legislation.

CBD oils and other edible products are subject to guidance from the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), which effectively means a policy of zero THC for edibles.

Topical and e-liquid products containing CBD are permitted if sourced from compliant industrial hemp.