Planned changes to the licensing of industrial hemp in the UK should make it easier for farmers to grow the crop, the government has reported. The changes to industrial hemp licensing will support regulated farmers to grow cannabis and encourage investment in the industry, while continuing to protect the public from drug abuse.

Cannabis varieties with less than 0.2% THC have many legitimate uses, such as in the construction and textile industries, and may affect climate change through carbon capture.

One of the changes announced earlier this week is to allow license holders to grow marijuana anywhere on a licensed farm. In addition, assuming compliance with the terms of the license, the maximum term of the license will be extended from three to six years. Another proposed change is the option to delay the start date by up to twelve months to apply for a license.

While the number of marijuana licenses has increased from six in 2013 to 136 last year, there is still plenty of room for growth, but red tape has been holding back growth.

The government has also asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to advise on whether the allowable THC content in industrial hemp varieties can be safely increased to 0.3%.
Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said: "This government will always seek to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on businesses so they can thrive. The changes outlined today will help UK farmers and manufacturers fully realise the economic potential offered by the safe and legal cultivation of cannabis."

For the access of various CBD products, the current regulatory authorities and policies in the UK are also different. This paper makes a brief analysis of the policies and regulations of various cannabis CBD products for the reference of relevant product enterprises or individuals.

1. Cannabis CBD products as medical products
According to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an opinion has been issued on the regulatory status of products containing CBD.

1. Products containing cannabidiol (CBD) used for medical purposes are a drug. Unless exempted, pharmaceutical goods must obtain a commodity licence (marketing authorisation) before they can be legally sold, supplied or advertised in the UK.

2. Licensed pharmaceutical products must meet standards of safety, quality and efficacy to protect public health.

3. Exempted products may be provided as "special" by the appropriate prescriber. "Special" can only be provided to meet the special needs of individual patients and must not be advertised.
2. Hemp CBD products as food
1. In the UK, foods with cannabidiol (CBD) added will be required to be treated as A Novel food from January 2019 and will need to be authorised to be legally sold in the UK (GB). There are currently no licensed CBD extracts or isolates on the market.

2. The laws and regulations on novel food provisions include: EU Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 Novel Food (Amendment) 2019 (EU exit) Regulation.

3. For new food applications, food companies must first apply for authorisation of their CBD extracts, isolates and related products before applying for regulated product authorisation on the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) website. Specific applications generally include the following parts of the content. Safety information is the most concerned part of the content. Multiple toxicological studies are required to prove the safety of the applied food.

3. Cannabis CBD products as cosmetics
There are many CBD products for topical use on the cosmetics market. These include, but are not limited to, serums, creams, washes/rinses (cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, body washes, masks), bath products (capsules, oils, tablets, and salts), deodorants, balms, and toothpastes. Cosmetics containing CBD do not require premarket authorization.