Is CBD Legal in Australia?

Is CBD Legal in Australia?

 

Is CBD Legal in Australia? CBD legality in Australia is something of a complicated subject. In essence, it is, but there is a smorgasbord of small print attached to it. 

There are lengthy and complex prescription processes attached to CBD products in Australia. In fact, only hemp oil is exempt from scheduling, as explained here.

 

How to Get CBD Legally in Australia?

It is assumed that it won’t be long until CBD products are readily available in Australia, as they are in regulated markets such as Europe and the US. 

As it is at the moment, however, it is far from easy to get CBD in Australia. 

CBD was legalised for medicinal purposes in 2016 in Australia, but there were numerous caveats attached to the law change (as mentioned in the link above). 

In fact, it has been reported by some outlets that despite its legality, CBD is almost inaccessible in the country. 

A very limited number of Australians are using CBD that they have been prescribed, with the country’s Therapeutic Goods Administration requiring a complicated application process before products to be prescribed. 

 

When, CBD Legal in Australia, is not the case?

As is often the case, a government making it difficult for their citizens to obtain something, doesn’t stop them obtaining it. It just stops them from doing so legally.

This means that in a country that has legalised CBD for medicinal use, most people using it for that purpose are going down less than legal alleys in order to do so. 

In fact, it has been reported that up to 100,000 Australians using CBD for medical purposes have obtained it illegally, with only one doctor in the country prescribing CBD as of mid-2018.

 

The Risks of Unlawful CBD Purchases

Now, to make it clear, we are not advocating the illegal obtaining of CBD products, in fact, quite the opposite. 

The reason that it is important to buy CBD products from trusted and regulated suppliers (well, hi there) is to ensure that you are getting what you think you are. 

CBD products that are sold by less than trustworthy sources can be dangerous, or at best, can contain something other than CBD, or in some cases no CBD at all. This means that there can be no effect from these products.

But it is the dangers that are the worrying part. There have been many reports of the risks faced by those who use CBD from unregulated sources, such as this Vice article about vaping CBD from August 2018.

So while it may not be easy to find CBD products legally in Australia, we certainly do not suggest going down illegal routes to get them. 

 

What Can be Changed? 

Many people in the know in Australia assume that it will not be long before the country jumps on board with much of the rest of the world, and develops a regulated CBD market, one that may even result in over the counter products being available. 

It certainly shouldn’t be long until you can use trusted online suppliers (hi again) to purchase safe, good quality CBD products. 

How long this process will take is anyone’s guess, there is a lot of red tape around CBD products in Australia at the moment and it may take a while to untangle it all. 

However, historically, the best way to exact change is to make noise about it, so if you believe that CBD products should be made more available for medicinal use in Australia, then be sure to get in touch with your local and national governing bodies and say so. 

The more people that make noise about the issue, the more likely it is to be discussed, and the more likely it is that changes will be made. 

The law change of 2016 shows a move to make CBD legal in Australia products, and scientific research has undoubtedly been enough for other major countries to allow the legal purchase of products. 

As a result, we can probably assume, fairly safely, that it will not take Australia long to follow suit, especially if the assumed 100,000 people using CBD illegally in the country is even close to accurate. 

But as always with these cases, what will happens next remains to be seen. But rest assured, if there are any changes, we will let you know about them as soon as they happen. 

The CBD revolution is in full swing, and we can expect an increasing number of countries to jump on board in the near future. Will Australia be the next country to legalise CBD fully? We’ll just have to wait and see. 

Got an opinion about CBD legalisation in Australia? Or an idea as to how to speed up the untangling of the red tape? Feel free to share it in the comments below for the chance at a 10% lifetime discount on all our products.

CBD Ireland? We are here!

 

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Disclaimer:

The products we sell do not have proven health benefits. While research is being carried out, these products are not, and should not, be considered to be medical products.

Any information we give in these articles is taken from scientific research, but should not be considered as a statement of fact. Links and information included in these articles do not reflect the opinion of Plant & Hemp. Any link to scientific studies is for information only, and not intended as a proof of any specific fact, or to validate any specific opinion.

We are simply bringing you the information needed to make an informed decision on what you want to use CBD for, and what you are comfortable using our products for.

CBD products should not be used as a replacement for any prescribed medication, under UK and International Law.

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