Hong Kong yesterday banned cannabidiol, or CBD, as a “dangerous drug” and imposed harsh penalties for its possession, forcing fledging businesses to shut down or revamp.
Supporters say CBD, derived from the cannabis plant, can help relieve stress and inflammation without getting its users high, unlike its more famous cousin tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana that has long been illegal in Hong Kong.
Cafes and shops selling CBD-infused products were popular among young people. However, all that has changed with the prohibition, which was announced last year and took effect yesterday.
Photo: AP
CBD-related businesses have closed down while others have struggled to remodel their businesses. Consumers dumped what they saw as a cure for their ailments into special collection boxes set up around the territory.
The new rule reflects a zero-tolerance policy toward dangerous drugs in Hong Kong, as well as in mainland China, where CBD was banned last year.
Hong Kong maintains several categories of “dangerous drugs,” which include “hard drugs” such as heroin and cocaine.
In explaining the policy change, the Hong Kong government cited the difficulty of isolating pure CBD from cannabis, the possibility of contamination with THC during the production process and the relative ease by which CBD can be converted to THC.
Customs authorities last week vowed to do more to educate residents to help them understand that CBD is prohibited in Hong Kong even though it is legal elsewhere.
Starting yesterday, possession of CBD can result in up to seven years in jail and a fine of HK$1 million (US$127,518). Those convicted of importing, exporting or producing the substance can face up to life in prison and a fine of HK$5 million.
Some users said the ban shows the international financial hub is going backward.
“It’s just looking less like an international city,” said Jennifer Lo, the owner of CBD Bakery, who started selling CBD-infused cheesecakes, cookies and drinks in 2021.
Her business largely dried up even before the ban took effect, she said.
“Rumors of the ban affected how I do business,” she said. “Some platforms just took me offline without telling me, and then it was not as easy to get space at markets.”
To comply with the ban, Lo dumped all her remaining stock, including dozens of cookies, and said she would have to rebrand her business.
Some other vendors, including Hong Kong’s first CBD cafe that opened in 2020, shut down.
Karena Tsoi, who used CBD skincare products for two years to treat her eczema, said she would have to find an alternative treatment.
“It’s troublesome,” she said. “The government doesn’t have to regulate like this.”
Most Asian nations have strict drug laws with harsh penalties with the exception of Thailand, which made marijuana legal to cultivate and possess last year.
Elsewhere, the debate over CBD continues.
Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration said that there was not enough evidence about CBD to confirm that it is safe for consumption in foods or as a dietary supplement.
It called on the US Congress to create new rules for the growing market.
Marijuana-derived products have become increasingly popular in lotions, tinctures and foods, while their legal status has been murky in the US, where several states have legalized or decriminalized substances that remain illegal federally.
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