Hong Kong’s CBD ban on ‘dangerous drugs’ begins

In a completely different approach to the US and many other places around the world, Hong Kong decided last October to ban CBD and classify it as a dangerous drug, and the ban begins Wednesday.

Time reports that starting Wednesday, harsh penalties and hefty fines — typically linked to hard narcotics — will be imposed on people in Hong Kong caught possessing, manufacturing or smuggling CBD.

Echoing policies in mainland China, Hong Kong’s CBD ban was announced last year amid government officials citing the difficulty of distinguishing pure CBD from THC and the possibility of contamination during the production process. They also cited the way CBD can be converted into THC — typically in the production of delta-8 THC and other cannabinoids.

According to the Hong Kong Free Press, a security panel of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council announced in June that it would pursue a ban on CBD. Then, in August, Hong Kong officials began cracking down on CBD companies. Residents had three months, starting Oct. 27, to dispose of their CBD products in special boxes that were placed around the city.

The full ban of CBD in the semi-autonomous administrative region will begin within a few days.

“Starting February 1, cannabidiol, also known as CBD, will be considered a dangerous drug and will be monitored and managed by the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance,” Customs Intelligence Officer Au-Yeung Ka-lun said at a news conference.

“From then on, the transportation of CBD for sale, including import and export, as well as the manufacture, possession and consumption of CBD will be illegal,” Au-Yeung said.

People caught importing, exporting, or manufacturing CBD can face life imprisonment and $5 million ($638,000) in fines in Hong Kong. Those caught in possession of CBD can face up to seven years in prison and a $1 million (US$128,000) fine in Hong Kong.

“We will tackle all kinds of dangerous drugs from all angles and all directions, and intelligence enforcement operations are our main objective,” Chan Kai-ho, a division commander at the department’s airport command, told reporters on Friday.

Chan said authorities would enforce the law on a case-by-case basis and are “seeking legal advice from our Department of Justice to determine what further action will be taken.”

The South China Morning Post reports that the department has seized over 4,100 CBD items found to contain traces of THC since 2019. Between January 2018 and December 2022, authorities arrested 38 people for their suspected links to 68 cases where CBD products were believed to contain THC.

Hong Kong customs officials arrested nine people and seized 25,000 CBD items worth HK$14.6 million after the products were found to contain traces of an illegal cannabinoid in January 2022.

It’s quite a change from 2020, when Hong Kong’s first CBD cafe opened and sold a full range of CBD-based cannabis products, including vials of CBD oil for personal use, powders to add to edibles like oil and butter, and others Products. including products for pets in need of pain relief. They also sold CBD-infused beer and coffee for those who wanted to stay at the cafe for a while.

Nearby in mainland China, CBD is banned in cosmetics, as are all synthetic cannabinoids typically made from CBD. However, keep in mind that China is blamed as one of the world’s top sources of fentanyl precursors. Synthetic cannabinoids are more commonly mixed with other drugs than in other parts of the world.

Jaycee Chan, son of Hong Kong-born Jackie Chan, served a six-month sentence in 2014-2015 for hosting a pot meeting at his Beijing apartment. That was during a crackdown on illegal drugs in the city.