Hong Kong Is Banning CBD: What to Know

Hong Kong on Wednesday made possession, consumption, and distribution of cannabidiol, or CBD, unlawful.

Whereas some governments the world over have legalized or moved towards decriminalizing hashish, together with Thailand last year, hashish itself stays unlawful in most international locations, with associated offenses usually punishable by lengthy jail sentences.

Nonetheless, merchandise containing the cannabis-derived compound CBD have change into more and more widespread in recent times, touted to have therapeutic advantages. And it’s lengthy existed in a authorized grey space for regulators. As of final February, the worldwide marketplace for CBD was estimated to achieve $48 billion by 2028.

In Hong Kong, a rising market had emerged for merchandise containing CBD, starting from skincare to meals and beverage objects. Months earlier than the ban, one may, for instance, stroll right into a specialty cafe and purchase CBD-infused chocolate chip cookies or get a couple of drops of the compound of their smoothie or espresso.

However native authorities have argued that the science behind CBD’s supposed therapeutic qualities just isn’t absolute and that its use may very well have dangerous uncomfortable side effects. As of Feb. 1, CBD has been categorized as a “dangerous drug,” together with the likes of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

Staff work on the Discovered Cafe—which served CBD-infused espresso, tea, biscuits and different sweets—in Hong Kong on Sept. 13, 2020. The substance is now unlawful within the metropolis.

Vincent Yu—AP

What precisely is CBD and why is it banned?

Cannabidiol (abbreviated CBD) is among the chemical compounds discovered within the hashish plant or hemp. In Hong Kong and elsewhere, the hashish plant itself is taken into account a harmful drug—extra generally known as marijuana, weed, or pot. However that’s as a result of one other compound from the plant, known as tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC), has psychoactive properties and, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control argues, could trigger dependancy.

An professional panel from the World Well being Group found in 2017, nevertheless, that by itself, CBD seems to be neither dangerous nor liable to abuse—although it nonetheless doesn’t suggest the compound for medical use.

Some research have even discovered that CBD use has therapeutic worth, notably for individuals suffering from seizures and clinical anxiety.

However Hong Kong narcotics officers argue that these research haven’t been authoritatively proven. Additionally they cite professional opinion that pure CBD is troublesome to extract from hashish vegetation, they usually say that, of CBD merchandise they seized, around a third contained THC.

How is CBD regulated in different elements of Asia?

When Thailand legalized hashish merchandise, together with CBD, nationwide final 12 months, some commentators speculated that it might be the start of a broader drug coverage liberalization for Asia, the place strict guidelines are predominant.

However Hong Kong’s new ban is extra according to the insurance policies of different international locations within the area, with few exceptions.

In Singapore, for instance, which is infamous for its zero-tolerance method to medicine, CBD is taken into account a hashish product, and even its use by Singaporean residents or everlasting residents whereas overseas is prosecutable.

And in China, reportedly the world’s largest hemp-cultivating nation, CBD was made completely illegal in 2022.

That mentioned, some international locations within the area enable CBD use underneath sure circumstances.

South Korea, for instance, eased restrictions on using medical cannabis, including some CBD products, in 2018, however with strict safeguards like an utility course of and the submission of prescriptions and medical information.

Japan, the place violating cannabis-possession laws can result in imprisonment for as much as 10 years, permits utilizing CBD that isn’t derived from elements of the plant other than the stalk and the seed. Additionally, native paper Yomiuri Shimbun reported in October that Japan’s well being ministry is eyeing amendments to hashish management laws to make means for CBD medicine for sufferers with intractable epilepsy.

What does this imply for the way forward for CBD regulation elsewhere?

Debate is ongoing about tips on how to regulate CBD with out undermining the potential advantages.

Fung Sai-fu, an teacher on the division of social and behavioral sciences at Metropolis College of Hong Kong, believes laws limiting CBD is required, citing potential traces of THC typically present in CBD merchandise. “There isn’t a clear scientific proof to help CBD with these marketed well being advantages,” he provides.

Alternatively, Gloria Lai, an Asia regional director for the Worldwide Drug Coverage Consortium, tells TIME that criminalizing CBD is “problematic,” given the potential advantages and the absence of confirmed dangers to its use, like dependence or overdose. “It may well doubtlessly end in a ‘ethical panic’ amongst different international locations, leading to them taking comparable measures,” Lai mentioned.

Lai referred to the European Union Courtroom of Justice’s resolution in 2020 that claims CBD extracted from hashish vegetation should not be considered a drug underneath the 1961 U.N. Single Conference on Narcotic Medication.

Within the U.S., regulators are nonetheless grappling with the uncertainty surrounding CBD. Whereas CBD sourced from hashish vegetation is federally unlawful, CBD extracted from hemp containing not more than 0.3% THC on a dry weight foundation is allowed. (States could have various legal guidelines on hashish and its spinoff merchandise.)

Simply final week, the FDA, after rejecting petitions to permit CBD to be marketed as a dietary complement, said that “a brand new regulatory pathway for CBD is required that balances people’ need for entry to CBD merchandise with the regulatory oversight wanted to handle dangers.” The company added that it has plans to work with Congress on these guidelines.

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