Italy classifies CBD extracts as narcotics

Compositions for the oral administration of cannabidiol (CBD) obtained from cannabis extracts« have been classified as narcotics in Italy, putting CBD oils and extracts freely sold on the market at risk.

Under a recent decree issued by the Ministry of Health, the CBD has been officially added to the country's list of medicines. Meanwhile, Italy's customs and monopoly agency has warned retailers «not to hold and sell... inflorescences (flowers), oil and or resins or other products containing substances derived from Cannabis Sativa.»

Published in the Italian Official Gazette, the decree nevertheless specifies only «compositions for the oral administration of cannabidiol (CBD) obtained from cannabis extracts».

«This decree specifies that CBD for oral use and extracted from cannabis falls within the table of medicines and can only be produced with the authorization of AIFA (the Italian Medicines Agency),» said Giacomo Bulleri, a lawyer who analyzes the Italian cannabis sector. «Therefore, the oils on the market are illegal,» said declared Bulleri.

This decree paves the way for the arrival of Epidiolex, a CBD-based drug whose manufacturer.., GW Pharmaceuticals, has obtained marketing authorization in Italy. Epidiolex, a medical CBD oil, is prescribed in particular for infantile epilepsy and Lenox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes.

However, it contradicts the recent decree from the Ministry of Agriculture which listed hemp flowers for extraction as an agricultural product and not as a medicine.

Hemp flowers with naturally occurring «non-extracted» CBD therefore remain in a grey area.

This Italian decision comes amid various signals in the European Union concerning CBD and other hemp extracts for non-medical use. Earlier this year, the European Commission published a «preliminary conclusion» that hemp extracts, including CBD, should be considered narcotics. In parallel, the Kanavape trial is due to deliver its decision in mid-November, legitimizing or not the possibility of using CBD in a mainstream product, and importing and distributing it in France.