Is CBD legal in Croatia?

CBD products are without any doubt gaining in popularity across the European Union. You can see this with the amount of news coverage CBD is receiving, or if you count the number of CBD stores that are present in your community.

This surge of CBD products also means a great deal of uncertainty for some people. On the one hand, governments cannot keep up with the quick industry development, so the drug laws often put CBD in a weird mixed status, causing reluctance among some entrepreneurs. On the other hand, people who are not quite familiar with CBD are wary of the products they might consider drugs and they do not know what to expect. Still, public opinion is shifting fast.

We, at Essentia Pura, want to set the record straight. This is why we are writing a series of articles covering all aspects of CBD, from its legality in member states of the EU to possible health benefits of CBD oil, as well as keeping up with rapid market innovation.

In this article, we will explain if CBD oil is legal in Croatia. Whether you are thinking about starting a cannabis-related company in Croatia, just want to buy some CBD oil in the country, or you are taking your summer vacation on the Croatian coast, this article will try to answer your questions about the CBD status in the country. By the end of this article you will learn:

• Is CBD oil legal in Croatia?
• The regulations of cannabis in Croatia?
• Is the use of cannabis permitted in Croatia?
• Can you use medical cannabis in Croatia?
• How to start your own CBD business in Croatia?
• How and where to buy CBD in Croatia?
• Can I bring CBD products to Croatia?

If you are interested in any of these topics, please read on.

What is CBD oil

If you are just trying to get some information about CBD law you might be wondering what exactly CBD is? CBD stands for cannabidiol, which is a part of the cannabis plant. It is gaining in popularity, as scientists are learning about its many possible health effects. At the same time, as we will see, it is possible to avoid any unwanted side effects of drugs.

We think that most of you are familiar with cannabis. Nonetheless, cannabis plants still have a bad reputation in the law all around the world and we would like to briefly discuss this.

Cannabis is often put in the same basket as other drugs. But things are more complicated

First, cannabis consists of many different compounds called cannabinoids. CBD is one of them but by no means the only one important. There are 144 different cannabinoids in cannabis, each one of them contributing something unique to it.

Another thing that you should know is that there is more than one type of cannabis plant. Broadly speaking we must discuss the difference between marijuana and hemp.

Marijuana

Marijuana is the type of cannabis plant, largely responsible for the bad reputation. This is because it contains THC, which causes you to “feel high” if you use it.  This can impair your psychomotor functions and is therefore prohibited by the law.

Most member states of the European Union prohibit the personal use of marijuana, Croatia is no different. Under the Criminal code and Drug Abuse Prevention Act amendment of 2013 cultivation, possession, and use of marijuana are prohibited. You should note that cannabis is considered a part of light drugs, possession of a small amount of marijuana for recreational purposes is considered a misdemeanor and not a criminal offense.

This means that you will only get a fine and no jail time. Still, due to its high THC content, cannabis is still illegal in Croatia, and if you grow or sell larger amounts of cannabis or other drugs that are obviously not for personal use. If you are caught you can be prosecuted and jailed for three years or more.  We urge you not to do anything criminal or against the law.

There is some indication of change, against the backdrop of public pressure, a bill had been introduced in the Croatian parliament which would decriminalize recreational use of cannabis and even enable personal cultivation.

Medical marijuana

Recreational use is illegal under Croatian laws. However, there is more and more talk about medical cannabis in the news. This is a type of cannabis that is used for treating multiple sclerosis or other diseases.

There is good news on that front. Since 2015 medical cannabis has been legal in Croatia for treating certain diseases. This means that if you have a prescription from your doctor, you can buy a limited amount –up to 7. 5 grams of medical cannabis per month. You should also note that the law limits the validity of the Croatian prescription for cannabis to 30 days.

Hemp

The second type of cannabis is hemp, sometimes known as industrial hemp. It has been in use around the world for centuries now. Until the second half of the twentieth-century hemp was a common sight in the countryside. It was used for textile, food, even construction. This different usage of hemp is reflected in the law.

So how exactly is hemp different? The most important part is that it contains virtually no THC, so it does not get you high. The usual threshold of THC content is 0. 2 %. At the moment hemp teachers this threshold it is no longer part of the drugs regime. This makes it legal to cultivate and use hemp in Croatia.

Before you plow your field to start growing any amount of your own hemp, you should be aware that you need to register with Croatian authorities, which must grant you a permit. If you do not have the appropriate licenses you can get a fine from the Croatian authorities.

Back to CBD

We hope you now have a better understanding of cannabis. But how do scientists create CBD oil from merely a component?

We should emphasize that CBD is isolated from cannabis in such a way that you preserve its possible medical benefits, but you do not have any other side effects, such as psycho-motor function impairment, commonly associated with drugs.

In the next step, the isolated CBD is attached to oil or another carrier, in this way scientists produce CBD oil or similar CBD products.

If you want to learn more, read our article on CBD extraction.

So why do people use CBD? Scientists have been doing extensive research on cannabis and a lot of promising articles have been published. These articles are linking CBD to various possible health benefits. If you want to learn more about this research, you can read our in-depth article here.

So according to all of this, is CBD oil legal in Croatia? Yes, but only under certain conditions.  For example, it must be produced from hemp, so this means that CBD oil must not contain more than 0. 2% THC. If you do not stay within limits it is likely that you would even face a fine from the authorities.

Buying and selling CBD in Croatia

We want to provide you with a couple of tips on how and where to buy or sell CBD products in Croatia.

Especially if you would like to start your own CBD business you should note a couple of things.

Buying CBD

CBD products are readily available for personal use in stores around the country, as well as in numerous online shops. As we mentioned earlier, if you want to use CBD to alleviate health issues you need to get a prescription from your doctor, only with a valid prescription can you purchase medical CBD products in licensed pharmacies.

However, if you are buying CBD for personal relaxation purposes or as a food supplement then you can freely buy it in stores or online. E-commerce enables you to purchase a wider variety of products from out of the country, especially Europe.

Selling CBD

If you are setting up your own CBD oil company in Croatia you have to of course strictly follow all the regulations about cannabis cultivation and production.

There are a couple of things to consider. You should first decide whether you want to fork as an affiliate or agent for some firm, so help distribute their CBD oils or you want to forge your own path from the start. There are benefits to both, in the former a big part of the business is secure, whereas in the latter you are your own boss. 

The second thing to consider is if you want to sell your CBD product in person or if you want to take the e-commerce route. Usually, the e-commerce option allows you to market your CBD oil products to a wider audience. You also do not need to rent out a store, some storage space should be enough, and as the year 2020 has taught us, e-commerce is more resilient to shocks to the economy.

We recommend that you thoroughly examine your product supplier beforehand. Focus on whether they follow all essential cannabis laws so that you avoid any legal troubles. You should make sure that you work only with accredited buyers and dealers of CBD-related products. Your supplier should show you CBD oil that does not contain THC and is extracted from cannabis plants with less than 0.2% THC.

If you are looking for a partner to supply your CBD-related shop, Essentia Pura is a Slovenian company that offers the bulk sale of CBD extracts. We take pride in ensuring strict compliance with national and EU regulations. We are a trusted wholesale partner for your CBD-oriented business with plenty of experience. If you have any questions regarding the bulk sale of CBD oil and other products, as well as any legal questions about cannabis regulations in Croatia or other EU member states contact us at our email address.

Conclusion

So is CBD legal? Let’s quickly review the Croatian cannabis laws.

• High THC cannabis is illegal.
• Medical CBD has been legal in Croatia since 2015.¹
• Possession of a small amount is only punishable with a fine.
• Cultivating and selling larger amounts is a criminal offense.
• Low THC cannabis (not more than 0. 2% THC)- hemp is, generally speaking, legal and free to possess, grow, and use.
• Before you start growing your own hemp you need to obtain a permit.
• Selling and buying CBD products in Croatia is legal, as long as CBD is extracted from industrial hemp or if you sell registered and approved medicinal products.

In fact, there is even a cannabis museum in Croatia’s capital, where one can learn about the rich history of cannabis. One may also buy CBD products that are either THC-free or with THC below 0.2% in the museum.²

Finally, a word of caution, even though CBD is legal to sell and buy in Croatia if it meets specific standards, Croatian and EU-wide laws are constantly changing. Thus, checking the latest regulations before embarking on any business initiative is always a good idea.

Further, it is also worth knowing that although EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) considers CBD a Novel Food, getting Novel Food approval is still challenging. EFSA says that though they recognize CBD as safe, there is a significant data gap. Therefore, keeping a close eye on EU-wide or EFSA guidelines and any nation’s national guidelines is always good.^3,4 

That said, we still believe that public opinion is changing in Croatia, and CBD products have a bright future. Therefore, we do not foresee any problems with the CBD business in the nation in the near future.

If you want to learn more about cannabis laws in a different country, you can read our articles about these countries in Europe:

• Germany
• Spain
• Italy
• United Kingdom
• France
• Denmark
• Greece