Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical compound found in Hemp and Cannabis plants. Research has found it to reduce stress, relieve pain, help with mobility issues, boost the immune system, and even assist with weight loss. With this in mind, you would assume that CBD would be legal in Ireland, but due to being derived from cannabis this is not always the case.
There are two types of cannabis plants that are widely considered when it comes to CBD: hemp and marijuana. The main difference between these two plants is that hemp has low levels of THC and high levels of CBD, whereas marijuana has high levels of THC and low levels of CBD. THC is the psychoactive constituent of cannabis – the extract plant that gets people high.
When taken from the hemp plant, CBD products contain very low amounts of THC – usually no more than 0.3% – but many still see it as being the same as marijuana, which is where the grey area around CBD products in Ireland comes from.
What Is CBD Used to Treat?
The World Health Organization (WHO) determined that CBD has been demonstrated as an effective treatment for epilepsy, including some rare childhood epilepsy syndromes that don’t respond to anti-seizure medications. The FDA recently approved Epidiolex, a purified form of CBD for some types of epilepsy.
While more research and human studies are needed to better understand how CBD works, there is preliminary evidence that CBD may be useful in managing other conditions, such as:
• Anxiety
• Epilepsy
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Chronic pain and inflammation
• Acne
• Cancer-related symptoms
How Does CBD Work?
CBD is thought to interact with receptors in the central nervous system, and some evidence points toward a calming effect brought on by CBD. It may also serve as an anti-inflammatory and may produce pain-relieving effects that help with pain management.
People are turning to CBD as an alternative to pharmaceutical drugs to relieve their symptoms. For people with depression or anxiety, they may be looking to avoid SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) which can have a number of side effects. For people seeking pain relief, CBD offers the potential to avoid highly-addictive opioids.
CBD Legality in Ireland
While the popularity and overall acceptance of CBD have skyrocketed in recent years and rightly so, CBD is legal in Ireland and the majority of European countries. However, there are a few stipulations:
• It needs to be made from the hemp plant with less than 0.3% THC.
• It can never be advertised as medicine.
• Since March 2021, CBD can now only be sold as a novel food. This is a big change from CBD sold as a food supplement and CBD companies are now required to obtain a license for every product they sell.
The confusion around CBD and its legality often come from its relationship with THC, the illegal substance which will get you high.
• CBD comes from the hemp plant with trace elements of THC only.
• THC is abundant in the marijuana plants which will are illegal and are in the list of controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Get Products from Ireland’s Most Trusted CBD Company
With the upsurge in the use of CBD in Ireland, the market is flooded and it is important to buy from a trusted brand that is committed to quality and that can provide third-party lab tests for their products. You can find ours on our website and you are welcome to get in touch to discuss your needs.
Irish Gold CBD is the best Irish CBD company and providing every type of CBD product with the highest quality for each person’s needs, all throughout Wicklow and the whole of Ireland. So if you’ve chosen your favourite form of CBD, head over to our products page and get your CBD today.