CBD & The law
CBD Laws In New Zealand
Around the world the laws are loosening up around CBD making it much more accessible to everyone. Countries like USA, Canada and the UK have made CBD readily available for people to purchase and there are many businesses now making CBD oils and other products.
However, the laws in New Zealand are lagging behind.
In 2017 CBD was legalised in New Zealand for medical use. This means you must have a medical prescription and can only fill the prescription at pharmacies. You cannot import CBD from overseas, even if you have a prescription. This makes sourcing CBD very expensive and it can be difficult to find a doctor who is willing to write you a prescription.
THC must not exceed 2% of total CBD for it to be considered legal in New Zealand.
If a product contains CBD but does not meet the definition of a CBD product, it is a ‘controlled drug’ and is subject to the regulatory requirements of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
In April 2020 laws were passed in New Zealand allowing THC to be prescribed for medical use without specialist approval. So we are making steps in the right direction towards total legalisation of THC & CBD.
CBD Laws In India
India has a long relationship with Cannabis which dates back thousands of years and is often associated with Lord Shiva. Bhang is commonly taken during the festivals of Holi and Shivratri and is legal in certain places like Varanasi, Pushkar and Jaisalmer. Smoking charas is an important element to spiritual practice for many sadhus and babas in India to this day.
Despite all of this amazing history in India with this plant, Cannabis was criminalised in the 80s and remains illegal.
India’s laws around hemp are starting to loosen up but the illegality of cannabis and CBD remains strict. There is no medicinal marijuana laws in India either.
CBD is legal in India as long as it contains less than 0.03% THC, any more than that and it is considered a cannabis product. This is very low and therefore can only be derived from the hemp variety of the Cannabis plant. It is currently only legal to grow hemp in Uttarakhand.
