Hong Kong to Ban CBD
Image credit: Simon Zhu via Unsplash
Hong Kong will soon ban CBD products, according to the Agence France-Presse.
The Hong Kong government will reportedly outlaw the cannabis compound by February 1, 2023, and place “it in the same category as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine”.
From February next year, anyone in Hong Kong who possesses or consumes CBD will face up to seven years in jail and fines of up to HK$1 million (US$ 127,000). Anyone caught trafficking or manufacturing the compound could be subject to a harsher penalty of life imprisonment and a HK$5 million (US$ 636,954.80) fine.
The new law will mean an end to the region’s burgeoning CBD market, which hosts CBD-themed cafes and bars offering CBD-infused foods and drinks.
“The trade and the public should arrange early disposal of any CBD products in their possession to avoid contravention of the law,” a government spokesperson said during an announcement on Thursday, October 20.
