Falklands approves importation, possession, use and sale of Cannabidiol (CBD)

Thursday, July 28th 2022 - 09:20 UTC

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“The subject of CBD and CBD oil was widely discussed in the lead up to the election,” explained MLA Roger Spink

The Executive Council of the Falkland Islands has approved that the importation, possession, use and retail sale of excepted products containing Cannabidiol (CBD) in the Falklands should be lawful. The announcement was reported on the Falklands government page.

At present, under the Misuse of Drugs Ordinance 1987, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is commonly found in CBD products, is a controlled substance. This means that the importation, sale and possession and use of a CBD product containing any amount of THC is unlawful.

Excepted products will be products which contain THC, where:

a) the preparation or other product is not designed for administration of THC to a human being or animal;
b) the THC in any component part is packaged in such a form, or in combination with other active or inert substances in such a manner, that it cannot be recovered by readily applicable means or in a yield which constitutes a risk to health;
c) no one component part of the product or preparation contains more than one milligram of THC; and
d) the preparation or other product does not contain any other controlled drug.
The exemption comes into effect following the publication of the Order, which will be in the next few days.

It will mean that:

- Individuals can now import, possess and use CBD products
- Individuals will not be able to sell products to one another
- Retailers can stock and sell CBD products
- All imported products must be in their original packaging and must be clearly labeled as to the contents in either or both English and Spanish

Chair of the Legislative Assembly, MLA Roger Spink said: “The subject of CBD and CBD oil was widely discussed in the lead up to the election. This decision by ExCo will now allow for CBD products to be imported by individuals, sold by retailers and used in the Falkland Islands. They are widely available as food supplements and this change gives people the same freedom of choice as in the United Kingdom.”