A wide range of hemp-derived products are available in the UK, and have been throughout history. But what if you want to grow hemp to make your own CBD Oil or food produce?
In this article, we will explore the laws around planting hemp in the UK and whether making your own CBD products is feasible.
What Is Hemp?
For those who are unaware, ‘hemp’ is a term that was coined to describe a particular variety of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) that was traditionally grown for industrial purposes such as ropes and sails for ships.
It was so crucial for British industry that in the 16th century, Henry VIII introduced a law that made it illegal for farmers NOT to grow hemp.
Hemp does not contain significant levels of any of the compounds that can ‘get you high’ such as THC or CBN.
However, hemp is a highly versatile plant used for food, medicine, fuel, clothing and hundreds of other purposes.
In recent years, hemp has become more appreciated for health products such as CBD Oil due to the wide range of beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes that it produces.
Is Planting Hemp Legal In The UK?
So if hemp is so useful, we should surely be able to grow it ourselves - right? The short answer, unfortunately, is no.
But it's complicated…
Hemp, despite not containing any significant levels of intoxicating compounds, is still a form of cannabis. Cannabis is classed as a Class B drug or ‘controlled substance’ by the UK government.
So growing your own hemp at home would make you a criminal, as the law does not distinguish between different varieties of cannabis.
However, companies can grow hemp for industrial uses with a specific license. This license only allows growers to use the ‘non-controlled’ parts of that plant which are the seed and fibre.
Any hemp flowers, containing thousands of beneficial compounds, must be discarded and left to rot in the field. Crazy, right?
Why Can't Growers Produce CBD Products With UK Hemp?
Despite CBD products being legally available in the UK, manufacturers have to import the raw materials to produce them.
This makes zero sense as we could be massively boosting the UK economy by using UK-grown hemp instead.
This should come as no surprise as, in this day and age, how many government policies do make sense?
Can I Make My Own CBD Products?
High-quality CBD products are not cheap, so making your own could be an attractive option.
However, as we have established, growing hemp at home is illegal.
Even if it was legal, it would be very difficult and time-consuming to grow the amount of hemp needed to extract cannabinoids and terpenes for most people's issues.
So most people would probably still end up trusting a reputable CBD brand for their products
But we should at least be allowed to try…