EDITOR's SPOTLIGHT: SCIENCE & REGULATION
Slovakia softens regulatory stance on CBD supplement use
Dated 21st August 2019, the decision places Slovakia alongside the majority of European countries that legally permit the sale of CBD-related products such as supplements, tinctures and tablets.
Documents accompanying the Bill amending Act no. 139/1998 Coll. on Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Preparations suggests CBD’s inclusion on the list is no longer needed as it does not have any psychoactive properties and thus no potential for abuse or addiction.
The Slovakian Government has classed CBD as a regulated substance since 2011, when its parliament placed the ingredient into Group 2 of the Psychotropic Substances Act.
The Act essentially means the handling, import and export of CBD from the Slovak Republic needs the permission of the Ministry of Health.
20011’s decision was based on a ruling made by Parliament for the drug Sativex, which contains both CBD and the psychoactive cannabinoid Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD.
The Slovak parliament claimed they did not know Sativex included CBD but declined to remove the cannabinoid from Group 2.
The latest draft law version now requires approval from the Slovakian government, which if successful must then enter parliamentary procedure.
The Government aims to pass the law before the country goes to election, scheduled for February 2020.
