Since CBD has become more mainstream, many people are making it a part of their daily lives and routines. If you're someone who has felt the benefits of CBD for your physical and mental health, you know that it is most effective when used regularly.
This is especially true over the last 6 months, a stressful period during which many more people have started using CBD regularly. And although the idea of traveling overseas might seem pretty far away at the moment (curse you 2020), it makes sense that you'd want to take your CBD products with you when you head abroad. But what does the UK law say about taking CBD oil on a plane? Let's look into it as it's not a straightforward as you might think:
Before we even start talking about the complications surrounding taking CBD products onto a plane when either heading into or out of the UK, it's worth mentioning that taking basically anything onto a plane is a hassle these days. Thanks to the actions of some crazy people many years ago, we're now all forced to do things like:
- take our shoes off even when we have embarrassing holes in our socks
- wait ages for literally anything (luckily there are plenty of overpriced shops for us to spend our money at!)
- only peek at the cockpit from a distance (seriously I used to love getting a look in the cockpit. It was awesome).
And lastly, take tiny little expensive containers onto the plane in our luggage. And this is all the case in the UK too.
This makes taking some CBD products onto planes pretty complicated, especially things like CBD water and some of the larger oils and pastes.
For reference, you're basically not allowed any container which is over 100ml in sizes, unless you've been prescribed whatever is in the container by a doctor and you have a note to prove this. This basically rules CBD out for anyone in the UK, where doctors aren't really prescribing it yet.
Consult the UK Government rules on hand luggage before packing your bags.
Is it legal to take CBD oil on a plane in your hand luggage from the UK?
So then, you've got your CBD product in a container less than 100ml in size - great. So is it all good to take now? Well, the answer is yes probably. But be prepared to prove to anyone working at the airport what your CBD product actually contains if questioned. This is why it's so important to buy a product from a straightforward company that provide lab reports with their products to prove that the THC content is less than 0.2% (the legal amount in the UK). If you don't have this information and you run into a member of airport security who happens to be in a particularly bad mood that day, you could land yourself in some bother.
Given the legal status of CBD in the UK, you should be able to bring CBD products onboard domestic flights within the UK, and international flights traveling o the UK. It's always worth double-checking with your flight provider beforehand though.
Can you fly from the UK to other countries with CBD oil in your hand luggage?
This is where it gets a bit more complicated - flying within the UK with CBD oil in your hand luggage is fine, but how about flying to other countries? That depends entirely on the specific rules of the countries. Let's take a few examples of popular destinations:
- Europe - CBD is legal in most European countries but you should always check the laws of the specific country that you're flying to. An isolate oil containing zero THC should almost always be fine, provided you can prove THC content with a lab report.
- United States - CBD should be fine but again depends on where you're flying to - some states don't mind cannabis products, some do. Read up on the laws before you head there.
- Rest of the world - This is where you have to be the most careful - laws vary wildly within countries outside of Europe and the United States, with CBD still being banned in many places. Definitely do your research before heading to countries anywhere else in the world.
In Conclusion
Taking CBD oil on a plane can be pretty complicated, but hopefully this guide helps clear up any confusion you have about the process.
