Is CBD oil legal in Portugal?

CBD oil is rising in Popularity throughout Portugal with Google search volume reporting showing exponential gains month-on-month for CBD related search queries, but what exactly is CBD oil? How does it work? Is it legal in Portugal? Read on as we answer these any many other questions in our short guide to CBD oil in Portugal.

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring phytocannabinoid found in cannabis. Phytocannabinoids are the compounds responsible for most of the plant’s health effects.

CBD is typically derived from hemp, a legal variety of cannabis with extremely low (0.3% or less) levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main intoxicating phytocannabinoid.

CBD has grown into a popular food supplement used to support general health and well-being. You can find many anecdotal reports of CBD health benefits, although medical research is ongoing.

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is the most common way of taking CBD. It contains CBD extract combined with coconut MCT oil or another plant-based oil to make it easy to dose and improve CBD’s absorption.

CBD oil is applied under the tongue (sublingual method) so that the CBD can absorb directly into your blood vessels. It typically starts to work within 30 minutes and you can feel its effects for several hours.

Unlike its cousin THC, the cannabinoid most people are familiar with, CBD is non-intoxicating. That means CBD oil cannot make you high. People typically describe the effects of CBD oil as relaxing and calming.

Is CBD oil legal in Portugal?

There are no clear laws about the legal status of CBD oil in Portugal. Still, it’s perfectly safe to buy and use CBD oil.

For starters, all drugs were decriminalised in Portugal in 2001, which means CBD is legal to possess and use.

The government also legalised medical cannabis in 2018, making it accessible with a doctor’s prescription.

However, it’s not clear how CBD is regulated by this law because it comes from hemp, a special low-THC variety of cannabis that’s legal to grow in Portugal. On top of that, CBD oil products are used as dietary supplements rather than medicine.

To add to the confusion, CBD oil in Portugal is also subject to laws of the European Union (EU). While hemp-derived CBD products remain legal in the EU, there have been some important recent developments.

First, the EU reclassified CBD as a Novel Food, which means companies have to complete a special application before selling their products. Also, the EU’s European Commission is debating whether or not to classify CBD as a narcotic.

Overall, CBD oil is perfectly safe to buy and use in Portugal as a dietary supplement, even though it remains in a legal grey area.

Where to buy CBD oil in Portugal?

The CBD industry is not heavily regulated so you have to make sure you’re buying CBD oil from a reputable, trustworthy brand. One brand we can recommend is CBDbom.pt and this is why:

Independent Testing: Their CBD products are tested by a third-party lab to verify their potency and safety.
Organic Hemp: They use only EU-approved hemp varieties grown with organic farming practices to extract the CBD (cannabidiol) used in their products.
Gold Standard C02 Extraction: Once their EU-approved hemp reaches the factor the CBD is isolated using the clean, safe, and environmentally friendly carbon dioxide (CO2) method. The Gold Standard CBD extraction method.
ISO-certified Manufacturing Standards: Their products are manufactured in an ISO-certified facility that follows Good Manufacturing Standards (GMP) practices to ensure strict quality control.
EU Made: From seed-2-shelf the sale of their CBD products support the EU economic ecosystem.
THC-Free: Lab reports show that they are 100% free form THC, making this a safe and legal product to use.
Competitively Priced: We know CBD oil is not the cheapest food supplement out there, but with CBDbom you can rest assured you are buying a fair market price.

Check out their best-selling, top-rated ‘Oleo de CBD’ which is Portuguese for CBD oil.

How does CBD oil work?

The cannabidiol in CBD oil is absorbed into the blood, after which it can interact with your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system is made up of endocannabinoids made in the body, cannabinoid receptors, and special enzymes.

The ECS works to maintain a healthy state of internal balance called homeostasis. To do so, it regulates brain function, mood, sleep, pain, immunity, metabolism, and other essential processes.

CBD can support the beneficial functions of the ECS by blocking an enzyme that breaks down your body’s endocannabinoids and through other effects.

Aside from that, CBD has also been shown to interact with serotonin receptors and many other parts of the body.

Stay safe when using CBD oil

CBD oil is a remarkably safe compound, with a 2018 report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) concluding that CBD is “generally well tolerated with a good safety profile”.

Still, it’s always a good idea to talk with your doctor or another qualified healthcare professional before taking CBD oil or any other supplement. This is even more true if you’re: