Are you a CBD user and have questions about whether you can travel with CBD flowers, resin or oil? Can you cross borders, take a plane, train or bus with CBD without risking trouble with customs or local police?
Is CBD (also called “cannabidiol”) legal everywhere in the world, is it risky to take it in your suitcase in Europe, America, Asia or Oceania? Here are the answers to your questions on this subject.
Can we travel with CBD?
Travelling with CBD in Europe, Canada or in some states in the USA is not illegal. However, the lack of knowledge about CBD and especially the difficulty for the authorities to distinguish the THC content of the products poses real problems for consumers who wish to travel freely with a quantity of cannabidiol in their luggage.
Traveling with CBD in Europe
European CBD law states that finished CBD products must contain a maximum of 0.2% THC in total to be legal. You can therefore travel freely with your cannabidiol products.
However, it is imperative that you travel with proof that your product contains no more than 0.2% THC. Get a certificate and a sealed product from a vendor to avoid confusion during a police or customs check.
Also, don’t forget that smoking CBD flowers is still illegal, so you should never use the flowers in this way in a public place!
France as an example had to comply with European legislation on CBD as explained in this article!
Traveling with CBD in Canada
As of October 17, 2018, cannabis is legal in Canada, effectively encompassing CBD. Therefore, you have no interest in bringing it from abroad as you will be able to get your supply locally, in a store or via the web.
Travelling with CBD outside of Europe
The origins of a specific product and its THC levels can be difficult to trace, and many states outside Europe are reluctant to legalize CBD for this reason.
In the United States it is even more complicated for travelers to understand because federal law takes precedence over individual state law in the event of an airport checkpoint.
In general, it is advisable not to travel with your product unsealed. Carrying an open bag or vial of CBD makes it impossible to trace the legal origin of the product.
Even when sealed and certified at less than 2% THC, you are taking risks by traveling with CBD all over the world when you are outside Europe and Canada.
To travel with peace of mind with CBD, here is what you need to know:
In Europe and Canada, you will be safe if the product is sealed and accompanied by the original invoice which mentions the amount of THC lower than 2%. However, if you are just stopping over in a country outside of Europe and Canada, you may be out of the law.
You should research in detail the latest laws and regulations regarding CBD and THC in your destination country. In the United States, South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania, you risk arrest for possession of drugs with CBD (due to lack of traceability and product identification). The safest way to know if a CBD product is legal in the country you are visiting is to ask the question in writing to its embassy. Bring a document proving your rights to prove your good faith in case of trouble.
As a precaution, do not bring CBD products on a plane, even if the THC content is less than 0.2%. It’s best to get your products at your destination (in stores or via the web). This prevents you from a suspicious arrest at customs.
CBD flower is the most “sensitive” when traveling because in case of control it may be confused with marijuana. Cannabis legislation is extremely strict in some countries, so don’t take an unsealed bag of CBD flowers into a state that has a strict jurisdiction on this subject. Read “cannabis while traveling” on this subject.
So beware: In some states where the sale of CBD is perfectly legal, there have been cases of arrests due to unfamiliarity with the product.
