Is CBD legal in Spain & Where to Buy it

Here are our key findings

• Hemp-derived CBD products containing no more than 0.2% THC for external use are legal for commercial purposes in Spain.
• Hemp-derived CBD was categorized as a “novel food” according to the EU Novel Food Regulation in 2019. After the Spanish government agency AECOSAN embraced this ruling, CBD could no longer be marketed or sold for human consumption.
• AECOSAN (The Spanish Agency for Food Security and Nutrition) prohibits the online and in-person purchase of CBD products labeled as health foods or supplements for oral consumption.
• Industrial hemp containing CBD and less than 0.2% THC can legally be cultivated and used for personal consumption in Spain.

When CBD hit Spanish shores, it was eagerly embraced by consumers. However, like many European nations, the cannabinoid has since experienced many twists and turns. In 2019, everything changed when Spain adhered to the recommendations of the Novel Food Regulation released by the European Commission.

Almost overnight, the range of CBD products available to the Spanish people became significantly restricted. At present, the only CBD products that are legally permitted for commercial purposes in the sun-soaked nation are topicals and cosmetics derived from industrial hemp containing less than 0.2% of CBD.

Products that can be externally applied get the legal tick of approval, but tinctures, capsules, supplements, oils, gummies, edibles, chocolates, vapes, dried hemp flower or tea are off limits.

Is CBD oil legal in Spain?

Spain can be described as a conservative country regarding its attitude to cannabis. The western European nation follows EU frameworks closely in many respects. Ironically, however, Spain is also a European hub for hemp and cannabis cultivation. Industrial hemp produced in Spain is sent to many other countries that use it to produce high-quality CBD products.

In Spain nowadays, CBD is only legal for commercial purposes as a product for external use. This means that you can only purchase CBD products that are used externally, on the skin. All topical CBD products must also contain no more than 0.2% THC, in line with EU law.

Curiously, industrial hemp (containing CBD and no more than 0.2% THC) can also legally be cultivated and used for personal consumption in Spain.

It wasn’t always this way though. Prior to 2019, hemp-derived CBD was widely available over the counter in diverse delivery formats.

So, what changed?

In 2018, The European Commission announced the Novel Food Regulation. The EU Novel Food Catalog that was released in 2019 included hemp-derived CBD, due to the lack of history regarding the use of CBD as a food before 1997. AECOSAN (The Spanish Agency for Food, Security and Nutrition) and the Spanish Ministry of Health ordered a halt to the marketing and sale of CBD for human consumption, and the flourishing CBD industry was dealt a blow.

Spain takes this new legislation seriously. Individuals caught selling CBD oil or consumable products containing CBD may end up paying a heavy fine or losing their business. Several shops in Spain have already been raided. Consumers ordering online may have packages confiscated if they contain CBD products that don’t conform with the law.

Best CBD products in Spain

Fortunately, Spaniards looking to ease aches or enrich their skin with topical CBD products can choose from a wide selection of high-quality brands. CBD companies from both Europe and the United States currently ship to Spain.

We’ve curated a list of the top five CBD brands (specializing in topical and cosmetic products) for Spanish consumers. Our comprehensive Leafreport rating system helps us to evaluate who makes the cut and who doesn’t.

Here are the details on our scoring categories, and our pick of the top five CBD brands in Spain.

Leafreport’s scoring categories

The Leafreport scoring system is calculated using our database, which collates third-party lab test results, prices, additional ingredients, extract types, and other relevant data. We add these criteria up to find an overall score out of 100 points.

In particular, we evaluate brands on the following specific criteria:

• Transparency, Accuracy & Reputation assesses the brand’s potency and purity results, verifying the accuracy of their CBD levels and whether contaminants are found in their third-party tests.
• Hemp quality checks whether the ingredients used in the CBD formulations are organic, vegan, non-GMO, USDA, and derived from sustainable sources.
• Variety of products confirms the range of products the brand has on offer and different variants of each product–such as extract concentrations or flavors.
• Customer experience explores how user-friendly the brand’s website is, and checks for educational information for consumers, ease of navigation, the detail of the product information supplied, and the availability of consumer support if needed.
• Price and discounts assesses value for money by calculating the price per milligram of CBD, and how the brand’s pricing compares to industry averages.

Purelix Wellness

Purelix Wellness subjects all their products to third-party testing for potency and purity. The certificates of analysis (CoA)s can be accessed online by scanning the QR code on each product label or visiting MyCBDTest.com and inputting the batch code provided on their packaging.

There’s no mention on the website of whether the brand uses CBD derived from organic hemp. All formulations, however, are manufactured in a lab that strictly adheres to the FDA’s guidelines for good manufacturing processes (GMP).

Purelix Wellness has an adequate CBD product range. For Spanish customers seeking topicals, the range is limited, but the products on offer are high-quality and available in different formats.

The webpage has a concise FAQ, directions of how to access the brand’s CoA’s, and useful customer resources. There’s clear guidance on how to reach out to customer service with questions or comments.

Purelix Wellness prices have an average price point of $.12 per mg of CBD, which is standard compared to other certified organic brands in the market that are also GMP compliant.

Purelix Wellness is based in Wilmington, North Carolina. The brand ships to diverse locations across the globe, including Spain. Purelix Wellness offers a handful of topical products, including a hemp cream, hemp sports cream, hemp salve stick, and hemp salve jar. Many of the ingredients are organic and free from artificial preservatives. All products are broad spectrum, containing an entourage of other beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes. The THC-free status of the Purelix product range may be ideal for Spaniards looking to sidestep THC completely.

Although the brand provides links to their third-party test results, they’re not accessible on the website. The website itself is a little confusing to navigate, as the layout renders it difficult to find information easily or intuitively. There’s very little information supplied about the founders behind the brand, or where the hemp is sourced from.

PureKana

You’ll find plentiful information about the founders of PureKana and an extensive FAQ page on the brand’s website. It’s easy to contact the customer care team if you have questions. Third-party lab reports can be easily located on their website by batch number.

All PureKana’s hemp is cultivated in the USA, and is free from pesticides and other contaminants. The CBD is taken from the hemp using CO2 extraction–a gold standard extraction process.

PureKana offers an extensive array of products, including CBD isolate, broad-spectrum, and full-spectrum topicals.

When Leafreport contacted PureKana with a question regarding their sustainable farming practices, we never received a response. The website is user-friendly, however, and all products have a 30-day money back guarantee.

PureKana pricing is average compared to other brands. While some products are priced at $0.06 per mg of CBD, others reach $0.15. In general, CBD products are priced from $0.08-$0.12 per mg of CBD (topicals tend to be pricier).

PureKana is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and ships to diverse regions of the globe, including Spain. The brand uses CBD derived from hemp that’s non-GMO, free from pesticides, solvents, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. When it comes to CBD-infused topicals and skin-care products, the brand offers a fairly wide range, including infused lip balms, lavender body salves, ointments, roll-on gels and transdermal patches. Many of the topical products are THC free as they are made with CBD isolate. PureKana also makes it easy to access third-party lab reports with their certificate of analysis search tool.

However, it’s also vital to point out that PureKana is not BBB accredited, and the brand holds a current score of F due to a number of complaints that have been filed over the years with respect to troubles reaching customer service, or returning a faulty product. Their TrustPilot score says differently though, with more than 5,800 mostly positive reviews.

Joy Organics

Joy Organics has impeccable transparency with clear labeling of products and QR codes that link directly to third-party lab results. Internal quality engineers test all Joy Organics products prior to sending them out for third-party testing–with each product tested by up to three different labs.

The brand uses organic non-GMO hemp farmed using state-of-the-art agricultural methods. CBD is extracted from hemp using CO2 extraction, which is one of the safest extraction methods available.

When it comes to topicals and skincare, Joy Organics has a small but high-quality range of five products.

Ordering is easy and delivery is rapid. The website is aesthetically appealing, rich in useful information and easy to navigate.

The brand’s pricing is quite reasonable, considering the high quality nature of its products. Prices range from $0.08-0.26 per mg CBD.

Joy Organics is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, and ships to diverse countries including Spain. The brand offers a curated range of topical products including USDA organic certified salve and salve sticks, lavender-infused CBD bath bombs, CBD sports cream and premium CBD cream to restore dry skin and ease aches. All products are THC-free, which will likely suit many Spaniards (who want to avoid any pitfalls with THC levels that are too high).

Joy Organics products are created using pharmaceutical-grade CBD. The brand prides itself on following a bespoke production process that results in superior CBD products. This process includes the cultivation of organic hemp in nutrient-rich soil, using state-of-the-art farming to enhance the quality of the proprietary hemp strains.

It’s worth noting that if you’re seeking variety in topical and skincare products, Joy Organics has a fairly limited range, with a stronger focus on topicals rather than skincare products.

Envy CBD

While it’s easy to find Envy’s third-party lab results, it’s challenging to find information on the company, its team members, or when it was founded. The lack of these details slightly compromises the brand’s transparency and reputation.

Envy CBD uses CBD sourced from non-GMO, organic, pesticide-free farming practices. The brand holds GMP manufacturing certification, however, they are not USDA organic certified at this time. Envy CBD products are formulated by chemists using a variety of plant extracts and natural ingredients.

If you’re looking only at Envy’s topical range, the diversity of products is excellent. CBD-infused topicals and body products include bath bombs, soaps, face creams, shampoo bars, and more.

The website boasts a blog and resources that provide consumers with useful insights about using CBD. The brand’s customer service ethos is excellent. There are multiple ways to reach out to the Envy CBD customer care team if you have any questions.

Envy CBD products are priced towards the higher end of the spectrum. Some of the pricier topicals cost as much as $0.40 per mg of CBD.

Envy CBD is located in El Monte, California, with industrial hemp farms located in Colorado, Minnesota, and Oregon. The brand currently ships to diverse locales around the globe, including Spain. Envy CBD stands out from other CBD companies because it adheres to a single-origin approach, which can also be understood as farm-to-table manufacturing. Farm-to-table means Envy CBD maintains full control of the cultivation, extraction, and manufacturing process to ensure that all products maintain the highest-quality standards while minimizing the environmental impact. This concept fosters a degree of trust, transparency, and traceability.

For Spaniards seeking a diverse range of topicals and skin care products, Envy CBD certainly delivers. Options include CBD face cream, CBD soothing balm, green apple CBD body lotion, lavender CBD body lotion, aloe vera-infused CBD ointment for post-sun exposure, bath bombs, soaps, shampoo, and more. The products appear to be THC-free, though the labels are not overly clear. Envy CBD uses ethanol-based extraction to source its CBD, which is a clean, safe extraction method.

The brand subjects all its products to third-party purity and potency testing, but the specific batch numbers are missing from some tests, rendering it difficult to match the individual product batch number to its test report.

CBDfx

CBDfx claims to use organic CBD, however, their products are not USDA certified (however, very few CBD products are). There’s a lack of information about the founding mission of this brand, or the individuals behind it.

CBDfx uses CBD sourced from industrial hemp grown in Kentucky. All CBD is extracted using sophisticated CO2 extraction methods before being shipped to a CGMP and FDA-inspected facility that crafts the products “to pharmaceutical standards”.

CBDfx boasts an extensive range of CBD products. For Spaniards who can only order topicals and skincare items, there’s a strong range of products and some quirkier additions–such as CBD-infused foot masks.

Customers can reach out for help via a phone number, email, and easy-to-use ‘contact’ form that allows for a quick connection. When Leafreport called, we were directed to a live person in less than a minute.

CBDfx products have an average price of $0.2 per mg CBD, which is pricier than comparable brands on the market. The brand does offer bundles which provide better value.

CBDfx is located in Southern California. The brand ships to diverse regions worldwide, including Spain. If you’re looking for a selection of skincare and topicals, CBDfx has a wide range, with muscle and joint creams, balm sticks in cooling and soothing formulas, bath bombs, face and foot masks, and bundles. Some products are full spectrum with THC, while others are broad spectrum, so it pays to check before ordering. The company provides third-party lab results via a QR code on the package. Every batch of products is tested, and lab results can also easily be accessed on the CBDfx website.

It’s important to be aware that some of their product potency tests show levels above the acceptable variance. A test for their 500 mg tincture oil revealed a discrepancy. The box’s label indicated an expected concentration of 16.5 mg of CBD per mL, but the results showed a whopping 20.22 mg/mL, which is 22.5% variance and over the acceptable 10% level. The website is also a little visually overwhelming to navigate.

CBD brands that ship to Spain

In addition to the reputable CBD brands listed above, a diverse selection of other CBD companies also ship CBD-infused skin and bodycare products to Spain.

These include:

• Alpinols
• Batch CBD
• Betoken
• Big Sky Botanicals
• Cannaunion
• CBD American Shaman
• CBDfx
• CBDistillery
• CBDmd
• CBD Medic
• CBD Pure
• CBD Rethink
• Charlotte’s Web
• Chronic Candy
• Cibdol
• Coastal Clouds
• Diamond CBD
• Drop of Sunshine
• Elevate CBD
• Elixinol
• Endoca
• Envy CBD
• Earth Hemp
• Evolution CBD
• Fab CBD
• Farmacy Bliss
• Formula Swiss
• Four Five CBD
• Funky Farms
• Green Garden Gold
• Green Gorilla
• Green Lotus
• Green Path
• Half Day CBD
• Hemp Bombs
• Hemp for Pets
• Hemp Fusion
• Hempland USA
• Hemp Meds
• Hempura
• Honest Paws
• Ignite
• Irwin Naturals
• Joy Organics
• Jupiter
• Just CBD
• Kanibi
• Karibo
• Kats Botanicals
• Kushly
• Lazaros Naturals
• Leafwell Botanicals
• Lily Hill CBD
• Made by Hemp
• Max CBD
• Medical Mary
• Medterra CBD
• Minted Leaf
• Mint Wellness
• Nanocraft CBD
• Naternal
• Nature Can
• Nordic Oil
• Nuleaf Naturals
• One Farm
• Palm Organix
• Penelope’s Bloom
• Penguin CBD
• Phenopen
• Plant People
• Plant Power
• Premium Jane
• Provacan
• Pure Hemp Botanicals
• PureKana
• Pure Elix Wellness
• Reakiro
• Root Wellness
• R+R Medicinals
• Seabedee
• Smile CBD
• Smilyn
• Social CBD
• Steve’s Goods
• Stigma Hemp
• Tommy Chong
• Tonic CBD
• Transcendlabs
• Verified CBD
• Veritas Farms

Where can I purchase CBD in Spain?

Spaniards can purchase topical CBD products from online retailers and physical stores.

Many Spanish consumers opt to buy CBD online. Online retailers can offer more competitive pricing as they don’t have store overheads. There are opportunities to learn about the brand and products in your own time, and any questions can be directed to customer representatives over live chats, emails or phone calls.

If you do decide to purchase CBD online in Spain, it’s essential to check whether you’re buying isolate, broad spectrum, or full spectrum products. Full spectrum topical products may contain THC levels in excess of the acceptable 0.2% THC threshold.

If you prefer to shop for CBD in person, there are stores sprinkled throughout Spain’s iconic major cities. Be aware that some stores may sell banned CBD products (like edibles) illegally, so the products aren’t regulated and may not be safe to purchase.

Some of the better-known CBD stores in Spain include SensitiveCBD and Botiga CBD in Barcelona, and Flower Farm and Green Shine in Madrid.

Whether you’re buying online or in store, it’s critical to know what to check for when you’re shopping for CBD. Look for reputable brands that subject their products to independent third-party potency and purity testing, and make their results easily visible and accessible to consumers. Potency testing checks whether the product contains the levels of active cannabinoids that it promises. Purity testing tells you whether contaminants such as heavy metals or pesticides are present in the formulation. Leafreport also publishes extensive independent reviews about diverse CBD brands that can help you make your choice.

Summary

Spain is subject to a confusing intersection of rules when it comes to CBD. Orally consumed CBD is prohibited for commercial purposes, but topicals and skincare products are legal. Spain produces hemp-derived CBD oil to send abroad, but Spanish citizens cannot purchase or consume that oil (unless they grow it themselves).

If you’re purchasing CBD topicals and cosmetics in Spain, it’s advisable to ensure you buy broad-spectrum or isolate products. Full-spectrum skin and body products should contain no more than 0.2% THC. Refrain from buying illicit CBD products to avoid legal troubles and confiscated goods.