Is CBD legal in France? THC limits and flower rules explained
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France allows CBD products with THC at or below 0.3%, but the answer depends on the product form. Flowers and food sit under different rules. This guide sets out what the official texts and the courts say, as of 22 October 2026.
The short answer
Under French rules, CBD products with THC at or below 0.3% can be sold, but not every form. Ingestible CBD food is being withdrawn from sale since 15 May 2026. Flowers and leaves have been sellable again since a 2022 court ruling.
- FranceCBD onlyTHC at or below 0.3%. Food products containing CBD withdrawn from sale from 15 May 2026. Flowers and leaves allowed since the 2022 ruling.
The 0.3% THC limit
The interministerial order of 30 December 2021 sets the THC ceiling at 0.3% for the hemp varieties and CBD products it covers. Products above that level are outside the rules in this guide. The THC figure comes from the lab report (certificate of analysis), so that is the document to check.
0.3%
Flowers and leaves: the 2022 ruling
The same order banned selling raw flowers and leaves to consumers. On 29 December 2022 the Conseil d’État, France’s highest administrative court, annulled that ban for varieties at or below 0.3% THC (Conseil d’État press release). The court said CBD has no psychotropic effect and does not cause dependence, so it cannot be classed as a narcotic product.
The trade press says flowers and resin stay outside the 2026 food measure. The ministry page does not mention them, so check the current position in the official texts before you buy or travel.
- 30 December: interministerial order sets the 0.3% THC limit and bans sales of raw flowers and leaves
- 29 December: Conseil d'État annuls the ban on selling flowers and leaves
- 15 May: withdrawals of CBD food products start
- 8 October: bill filed in the French Senate, not yet law
Food and supplements from 15 May 2026
Food rules are separate from drug rules. The agriculture ministry says food containing CBD is not authorised under EU Novel Food Regulation 2015/2283, and that controls were stepped up in 2026 (Ministry of Agriculture).
The Chambre d’agriculture of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur lists gummies, sublingual oils sold as food supplements, capsules, chocolates, drinks and infusions made from flowering tops as withdrawn from 15 May 2026 (Chambre d’agriculture PACA). According to the ministry page, hemp seeds and their derivatives, such as seed oil, stay allowed, as do leaves intended only for a water infusion.
A bill that is not law yet
A bill filed in the French Senate on 8 October 2026 would add a hemp registry, shop permits and a driving threshold. It is not law, and none of its rules apply today. Our news article on the bill explains what it would change.
Checks before you buy or travel
These steps help you check a product. They do not replace the official texts.
- Read the lab report and confirm the THC figure is 0.3% or less.
- Check the product form: flowers, resin, e-liquids and cosmetics are not in the same position as food.
- Assume gummies, capsules and oils sold as food supplements have been withdrawn since 15 May 2026.
- Keep the lab report with the product.
- Check the rules again before you travel, because rules in other EU countries can differ.
What we could not check
We could not read the 2021 order or the 2022 ruling in full on Légifrance. We used the Conseil d’État’s own press release and the ministry page. We could not check the official status of flowers, resin and e-liquids in a French text, because the ministry page does not mention them. We could not check how border controls apply to CBD bought in other EU countries.
