The legal status of Cannabis products in the European Union has not always been clear, and legislative changes have generated consumer uncertainty. However, the law has been revised, and applications of CBD in cosmetics are now permitted throughout the European Union.
In Europe, many cannabis companies have promoted their products as foodstuffs. The Novel Food Regulation of the European Union has long defined the CBD’s position in Europe.
A novel food is a product meant for human consumption for which there is no relevant record that it was widely used in the EU Member States prior to 1997.
Until 2018, when it was determined to amend the regulation, CBD products were not included by it. As a result, the revised Novel Food Regulation decided that the use of Cannabis Sativa L. as a nutrient lacked appropriate substantiation. The hemp plant’s flowers and leaves were not particularly addressed in this new rule.
The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA), proposed to the European Union that CBD be included in the CosIng European Cosmetics Database. In the proposal, restrictions on Cannabis Sativa L. were removed, and three new INCI (International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient) designations were added to the list. Extract of Cannabis Sativa leaf, Cannabis Sativa stem extract or leaf, and root extract of Cannabis Sativa were suggested as names to be included. The EIHA submitted this proposal In late 2019.
When the EU agreed to legalize CBD usage in cosmetics in all of its member states from February 2021, the EIHA proposal and the verdict in case C-663/18 contributed significantly to the elucidation of the CBD’s position in regulation.
In the CosIng database, we can find CBD classified as cannabidiol, obtained from tincture, cannabis extract, or resin. Other CBD products, such as CBD oil, can legitimately be labeled as skin protection, antioxidant, anti-sebum, and skin care characteristics for marketing.
However, while ordering remember that not all CBD products available in the market meet the legal standards. Besides, local government policy prohibits the marketing of CBD products for oral consumption. It is also prohibited in marketing to claim that the product improves health or has any medicinal effects.