On February 23, 2024, the German Bundestag approved a law for the legalization of cannabis for recreational use, making Germany the third European country, after Malta and Luxembourg, to regulate the marijuana market. The new law, which will come into effect on April 1, 2024, will have a significant impact on the German market, with implications for consumers, businesses, and the government.
What the law entails:
The law allows adults over the age of 21 to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis for personal use and to grow up to three cannabis plants at home, provided they are not visible from public spaces. The sale of cannabis will be regulated by a licensing system similar to that for alcohol and tobacco, with authorized specialized shops, pharmacies, and cannabis clubs. The THC content will be limited to 15%, and the government will apply a consumption tax on cannabis similar to that on tobacco.
Market opportunities:
The legalization of cannabis in Germany presents a significant opportunity for the market. It is estimated that the value of the legal German cannabis market could reach €4 billion by 2028. The new law will open the doors to new companies operating in the cannabis sector, from cultivation to retail sales, and an increase in investments in the sector is expected from both German and foreign companies.
Impact on consumers:
Consumers of cannabis in Germany will have access to a safer and more controlled product, with a greater variety of cannabis-based products available, including flowers, oils, concentrates, and edibles. Legalization will reduce the black market and the risks associated with purchasing illegal cannabis.
Challenges and concerns:
The legalization of cannabis in Germany also presents some challenges and concerns, including market control to prevent criminalization, raising awareness among consumers about mental health risks and driving under the influence of drugs, and analyzing the social impact, particularly on young people.
Conclusions:
The legalization of cannabis in Germany is a historic event with significant implications for the market, consumers, and the government. The new law represents an important opportunity for the German cannabis market, but it will require addressing challenges and concerns to ensure proper implementation and management.
Many people who approach the use of hemp-derived products remain baffled by the debate around whether or not to use such products. Especially with regards to the possible habituation of the body to some substances contained in the aforementioned plant. While the sale of products containing CBD is legal, the question arises as to what THC value is allowed. In fact, CBD is a natural chemical compound found inside hemp inflorescences, and unlike THC, it is not psychoactive.
This happens because the two substances interact differently on the body through the receptors of the nervous system. The products on the market today have a high concentration of CBD and a THC component so low that it is not dangerous for health. It is very important to know the difference between CBD and THC because the former is completely legal even if it is improperly associated with marijuana. CBD does not alter mental faculties and even inhibits the psychotropic effect induced by THC.
Differences between CBD and THC
Law 242 of 2 December 2016 specifies the THC value allowed in marketable products. This law is designed to promote the hemp cultivation chain for the purposes:
To develop integrated territorial supply chains that pursue local integration and real economic and environmental sustainability
To encourage the use and final consumption of semi-finished hemp products coming from primarily local supply chains
To produce foods, cosmetics, biodegradable raw materials and innovative semi-finished products for industries in different sectors
Considering the fact that, in botany, cases of spontaneous hybridization of plants are frequent, the law has appropriately provided for a sort of tolerance. Therefore there is a margin in favor of the grower if some CBD products contain traces of THC. In fact, the permitted THC value is set by law in a range between 0.2 and 0.6%. Within this value are all the products on the market today based on hemp sativa, be they cosmetics or foodstuffs.
What THC-based products are allowed
CBD is used in the production of a very wide range of products. Among these stand out foods and drinks, healing and beauty creams, and even essential oils, some of which are also suitable for animals. In every product that can be purchased in physical stores or online shops, the permitted THC value is within the legal limits, therefore safe for health. On the market, CBD can be found in the form of oil, extract or crystals that can be inhaled via piezoelectric combustion.
It can also be contained in cosmetic creams, cleansing milk, gels, ointments and even lip protectors. It can also be contained in drinks, such as herbal teas, mixed in a variety of flavors with other healing plants. In the latter case it is a simple product to use and particularly suitable for the management of sleep, anxiety and fatigue. Helps the body stay healthy by preventing the onset of diseases. In some shops it is also possible to find food products in which CBD is mixed with flours.
In Italy, after the legalization of the production and sale of CBD following Law 242 of 2016, many retailers were born. Both in the form of classic street shops and through various online trading sites. It is therefore very easy to understand where to buy CBD. The Italian law mentioned above has legalized the cultivation and production of a particular type of hemp sativa, also called industrial hemp.
CBD is obtained from the latter. This type of crop contributes, in fact, to reducing the environmental impact in agriculture by enriching the soil, combating desertification and purifying the air. Several scientific studies have in fact shown that hemp absorbs up to ten times more carbon dioxide per cultivated hectare than a normal forest.
Differences between CBD and THC
A controversial in the marketing of hemp-based products is the simultaneous presence of THC within the inflorescences themselves. In fact, in the same way in which CBD, a natural and beneficial chemical substance, is obtained, it could be difficult to exclude the simultaneous presence of THC. Which is a psychotropic substance, that is, capable of altering perception. Italian legislation has set the tolerance for the presence of THC in a very low range, between 0.2 and 0.6%. Therefore, in the shops where you can buy CBD, the products sold are guaranteed to be safe within the terms of the law and health safety. Here is a list of places to buy CBD safely:
Online shops. Very thematic and focused on all aspects related to the legal use of hemp. It is possible to find there from oils to foods, even clothes;
Businesses that sell drugs without the need for a prescription often also include CBD-based products in their offer. For THC-based medicines with values above 0.6%, a regular medical prescription is required;
Herbalists and coffee shops. Since it is possible to consume the right amount of CBD in the form of herbal teas, foods and drinks can be found within these store categories;
Organic shops and electronic cigarettes. Obviously, being a plant of natural origin, CBD products can be found in some particular organic shops.
How to consume CBD
Once you have established where to buy CBD, it is also useful to know in what form you can take it. Mainly its use is linked to oil, which is one of the main cannabis-derived products on the market. The CBD extract is diluted in a carrier oil to create a very versatile product. Basically, three types of oil are marketed, differing in the concentration of CBD and THC.
The full spectrum oil, so called because it contains all the cannabinoids contained within the hemp plant. In addition to these it also contains minerals, vitamins, fibre, proteins, essential fats contained in the plant. Another type of oil, defined as broad spectrum, which contains all the aforementioned properties of hemp but is free of THC. And finally an oil in which only CBD is isolated, without other natural components.
Today, with e-commerce having become an integral part of our lives, it is much easier to buy anything. Even with regards to CBD-based products, all you need to do is do a simple internet search to find CBD sales near me. It could be a physical store a few steps from home, but you could also find it convenient and convenient to have things delivered online.
Very often, in fact, online businesses manage to have a variety of products, even unusual ones, that the retailer does not offer. Online it is actually possible to be surprised with real unexpected gems.
What do you buy online regarding CBD
There are many ways to consume CBD and there are just as many products that can be purchased in CBD sales near me. First of all, certainly the oil, which is usually taken in sublingual drops. In this regard you need to know that:
You need to choose the percentage of active ingredient you want to take. There are oil drops on the market with a concentration ranging from 5 to 40%;
The absorption of the necessary amount of CBD varies greatly from individual to individual, especially in relation to their weight and body size. Normally the doses indicated are designed for an adult individual weighing approximately 60-90 kg.
Given this, the following recommendations can be followed for using the oil when purchasing CBD for sale near me:
For minor problems, 5 drops of CBD 20%oil in the morning and 5 drops in the evening
Or, 3 drops of CBD 30%oil in the morning and 3 drops in the evening
When, however, you chronically suffer from health-related problems, which therefore persist over time. Or you suffer from various pathologies, the advice is to take:
5 drops of CBD 30% oil in the morning, 5 drops in the middle of the day and 5 drops in the evening
After a week 7 drops of CBD oil 30% in the morning, 7 drops in the middle of the day and 7 drops in the evening.
Other uses of CBD
After finding CBD sales near me you can try many products. Oil, for example, can be used in the kitchen for seasoning but CBD is also found in the form of flour ready to be kneaded. In its liquid or crystal form, CBD can also be used by inhaling its vapors through the use of electronic cigarettes. In this case the recommended vaporization temperature must be set between 160 and 180°.
Another way of taking CBD is to ingest it in the form of pre-measured capsules, in this case there is no risk of overdose. They are also much more practical to carry and avoid the slightly bitter aftertaste of sublingual oil. Furthermore, CBD can also be taken topically through the application of creams, ointments or cosmetics of various kinds. CBD oil is also very effective for preventing and treating pet diseases. It is sufficient to mix a concentration of 5% with the food of our domestic friends.
CBD is the acronym used to define cannabidiol, a chemical substance extracted from the Cannabis Sativa plant. In Italy there are currently many CBD-based products, ranging from essential oils to foods. And they can be found both in a wide range of physical stores and through online commerce. If it is possible to sell products derived from hemp, one rightly wonders whether it is legal to grow CBD in Italy?
In reality, from a purely legal point of view, the cultivation of hemp sativa is the only element clearly indicated by the legislation. The reference legal text is the now famous Law n° 42 of 2 December 2016 with which a series of measures were adopted. However, all of them are aimed solely at supporting and promoting the cultivation and supply chain of hemp, of the hemp sativa variety. And this is because:
It is a type of plant capable of contributing to the reduction of environmental impact in agriculture;
It combats land consumption, desertification and the loss of biodiversity It is an excellent substitute for surplus crops and as a rotation crop.
Therefore we can conclude that it is legal to grow CBD in Italy, indeed it is the only thing that is certain.
Permitted uses of CBD contained in hemp sativa
In the same Law of 2 December 2016 n° 42 it is also specified that one of the purposes of the production of hemp sativa is to:
Produce food, cosmetics, biodegradable raw materials;
Encourage the use and final consumption of semi-finished hemp sativa products, in particular from local supply chains.
Therefore, although not expressly indicated, it is not only legal to grow CBD in Italy but also to market the products, as long as they fall into those categories. CBD is therefore a chemical substance present in nature within the inflorescences of hemp sativa, which does not produce physical or psychological addictive effects. Since it is extremely difficult to prevent other cannabidiol substances, such as THC, from coming into contact with CBD, the same law establishes a tolerance. At the moment the tolerance threshold is established by law at a percentage between 0.2 and 0.6%.
The properties of CBD
Since it is legal to grow CBD in Italy, here are the main properties capable of bringing benefits to our body. In the first place:
CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory both generally and topically. When applied to an area affected by a particular disorder it provides immediate relief;
CBD helps with various types of pain such as headaches, back pain or arthritis. It is therefore suitable not only for occasional pain but also for chronic and serious pain;
CBD acts effectively on anxiety, stress and depression as it determines the production of serotonin and other brain mechanisms that help restore good mood.
CBD is generally found on sale in the form of oil or crystals, and is mostly used topically. In the form of flour, it can also be added to other ingredients and ingested.
We hear a lot about hemp-based products and, despite the legalized opening of specialized shops, doubts and uncertainties remain due to lack of knowledge. Italian legislation with the promulgation of Law n° 242 of 2 December 2016 has regulated the methods of cultivation of certain types of hemp. Among these, mainly, hemp sativa specifying its intended use which, among other things, must be aimed to:
Food and cosmetics, following the principles of the relevant regulations;
Semi-finished products, such as oils, fiber and powders intended for artisanal activities in various sectors.
All these sativa hemp processes contain CBD, so if you ask yourself what are CBD products? Here are the answers.
What is CBD
The first piece of information to take into account is what CBD is to know not only what CBD products are but also what they contain. CBD is the nickname of cannabidiol, a chemical compound present inside hemp inflorescences. It is rich in therapeutic properties that do not create any physical or psychological dependence, unlike another cannabinoid contained in the same inflorescences: THC. It is precisely in the differences between the two that all the differences lie, also linked to the legality of their consumption. THC, in fact, has psychotropic effects, meaning it can contribute to the alteration of perceptions.
Therefore, it is prohibited to market and take it. However, the law itself admits that in nature the case of spontaneous hybridization in plants is very frequent. A tolerance threshold has therefore been set for the presence of THC in products predominantly based on CBD. This threshold must necessarily be between 0.2 and 0.6%. Therefore, when asked, what are CBD products? We can calmly answer that they are safe for our health because they are fundamentally free of THC, except in percentages deemed harmless by the State.
What CBD products are available on the market
To know what CBD products are, you must first consider the oil. CBD oil is present in various concentrations and has a notable versatility of use. It can be taken sublingually, added to edibles, or ingested in capsule form. Taking it sublingually is much quicker, as it penetrates directly into the body’s bloodstream. CBD can also be taken in the form of crystals or in a liquid state and, in this case, be taken via electronic cigarette.
The risks of combustion are avoided and it can be used immediately, given that the effects of CBD on the body are almost instantaneous. Otherwise, one of the most frequent ways to absorb CBD is through the use of topical or cosmetic products. It is found in the form of ointments, balms or lotions and has the advantage of rapidly penetrating the dermal tissue causing the reduction of pain. In fact, one of the recognized properties of CBD is anti-inflammatory. But it is also medically recognized for properties such as antiepileptic, anxiolytic and analgesic. It is possible to buy CBD-based products almost everywhere, both in physical stores and on various online platforms.