Germany: opposition party calls for clarification of CBD status

German opposition party Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP) today submitted a request to the federal government to clarify Parliament's position on CBD-infused products.

The FDP would like to know why CBD has been categorized as a «novel food», and what scientific evidence was used to support this categorization. A «novel food» is defined as a form of food that was not consumed to any significant degree in Europe before 1997. Measures to regulate these «novel foods» came into force on January 1, 2019, and require additional checks to be carried out for CBD, before it is placed on the market.

The opposition party also wonders why the government has not introduced a transition period for companies currently selling CBD products. The FDP is concerned about the economic damage caused by the irregular seizure of cannabis products to enforce these regulations.

Companies intending to sell novel foods are expected to apply for marketing authorization first. However, the application of European standards have been inconsistent across the continent. In the case of Germany, the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety stated that, for a CBD product to be legal, it had to be authorized either as a medicine or as «novel food».

The FDP would also like to know if the government is considering measures to protect legal CBD sales in Germany.

For the time being, no CBD products can be sold as food in Germany. In Germany, the cannabis sector is booming. Experts estimate that this market will be worth 7.7 billion euros in 2028, and the country is experiencing sharp increase of medical cannabis imports in 2019 compared to the previous year.