A regulatory project led by ANSES and DGCCRF aims, during 2025-2026, to remove the term "CBD" from food supplement packaging sold in France. Far from a marginal detail: it touches the heart of the oils, gummies and capsules market. Factual overview.
What it actually means
The project does not ban CBD. It bans the use of the word "CBD" on packaging, leaflets and commercial communications when the product is sold as a "food supplement". A sublingual oil currently labelled "CBD oil 10%" could no longer carry that mention. It could still be sold, but under another regulatory category or with a different name (for example "hemp extract").
The legal basis: novel food regulation
EU regulation 2015/2283, the so-called "novel food" rule, requires that any ingredient not significantly consumed in the EU before 15 May 1997 must be authorised before reaching the food market. Authorisation goes through EFSA (European Food Safety Authority).
Multiple CBD novel food dossiers have been filed since 2019. None has yet been authorised. EFSA's 2022 interim report stated it could not conclude on CBD safety at supplement doses and asked for more data. The process is paused pending this data.
The French position
ANSES, on DGCCRF's request, considers that without EU novel food authorisation, presenting CBD as a food supplement ingredient is not compliant. The 2025-2026 project translates this view into practice. It is not an isolated stance — Germany, Spain, Italy already follow similar logics to varying degrees.
What remains possible
- Cosmetics — topical CBD (creams, balms) under EU regulation 1223/2009.
- Dry flowers and resins — sold as raw material, no food presentation.
- E-liquids — under TPD vaping directive.
- Infusions and teas — allowed as foods with specific ingredient labelling rules.
- Supplements with alternative names — a product labelled "Cannabis sativa L. hemp extract" without the "CBD" mention would remain sellable under the project's reading.
Consumer issues
- Readability — without "CBD" on the box, choosing the right product becomes harder.
- Dose comparison — cannabidiol concentration may disappear or be expressed differently.
- Trust — transparency is what set legal CBD apart from informal markets.
- Continuity — CBD does not vanish, it shifts category. Consumers will need to learn the new vocabulary.
Industry stakes
Serious operators have prepared for years. Three strategies dominate: shift to cosmetics, shift to flowers / e-liquids, or wait for the novel food dossier with funded extra studies.
Indicative timeline
At the time of writing, the project is in consultation phase. No definitive date. A 2026 implementation with a transition period to clear existing packaging is the working hypothesis — without guarantees.
Why stay factual
This file generates strong reactions. Some denounce a strategy to asphyxiate the trade, others note that serious food regulation requires solid toxicology data. Our editorial reading: the project is neither persecution nor formality. It applies an EU regulation strictly. The debate on its proportionality belongs in the political and associative arena.
The Horus stance
Our Boulogne-sur-Gesse and L'Isle-en-Dodon shops do not rely on the supplement format alone. Our catalogue spans flowers, resins, cosmetic oils, infusions, e-liquids — and our sublingual oils are shifting to a label compliant with the current evolution. Transparency stays the same: certificate of analysis per batch, traceability, cannabinoid content shown. If the label changes, the product remains as transparent.
Further reading: pharmacy vs herbalist vs CBD shop: regulatory differences.
This article is for informational purposes only. For legal advice, consult a lawyer. CBD is not a medicine.