France leads new push against CBD edibles as Europe’s legal grey market shrinks

Europe's market for non-psychoactive cannabis products—from CBD-infused oils and cookies to herbal teas—is coming under mounting pressure as governments tighten regulations following France's latest crackdown, threatening a sector that has long operated in a legal grey area.

Under EU law, CBD food products are classified as "novel foods," meaning they must undergo a lengthy and rigorous approval process before they can be legally marketed, as Euractiv reported.

As the outlet recalled in its piece, no CBD edible has received such authorization. Despite this, several member states, including France, had largely tolerated the sale of CBD foods for years, allowing the market to expand with minimal enforcement.

That changed last month when France introduced a sweeping ban on CBD edibles and announced that authorities would begin enforcing the restrictions from May 15.

“Consumers are advised not to buy or consume this type of product, regardless of the source,” a French government statement said.

French embarks on new direction

The French move was quickly followed by Greece, which expanded its existing restrictions by banning the retail sale of raw CBD flowers. These products had long occupied a legal grey area across much of Europe and are commonly used in homemade preparations such as herbal teas and baked goods. Italy imposed similar restrictions last year.

The policy shift has caught many hemp producers off guard, particularly in France, where years of regulatory tolerance had encouraged investment in CBD food products.

Ironically, hemp cultivation itself remains legal across the European Union, and the European Commission has even proposed more favourable rules for the crop under the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Jason Etcheverry, a hemp farmer in southwestern France, had recently launched a range of edible CBD oils before the ban took effect.

“We made major investments in this,” he told Euractiv in a phone interview, acknowledging that CBD products had always carried regulatory risks. “But we were somewhat optimistic that novel food authorisations would come through before any bans”.

Following the announcement, Etcheverry withdrew his chamomile- and lemon balm-infused oils from sale. The products now appear as "coming soon" on his website while he scrambles to convert roughly 15,000 bottles into cosmetic products.

“This is the only way to avoid total loss,” he said, estimating that the financial hit could exceed €180,000.

France's CBD industry is now preparing a legal challenge against the ban, accusing the government of using EU novel food legislation as a “political weapon”.

Paul Maclean, president of the industry association UPCBD, also questioned whether CBD products should be classified as novel foods in the first place—a category intended for products that were not widely consumed in Europe before 1997.

“Hemp has been consumed as food in Europe for thousands of years,” he told Euractiv, pointing to historical evidence and centuries-old cookbooks.

By Nazrin Sadigova