Hong Kong not permits the sale and consumption of all types of pet meals and well being merchandise made with cannabidiol (CBD) following a complete ban on CBD by the Hong Kong authorities that went into impact February 2023.
Most companies that used to supply CBD merchandise for pets disposed of their remaining shares months in the past. Others fully shut down their operations and plan to relocate to different nations the place CBD is just not banned.
Earlier than the ban, Hong Kong solely regulated the entry of pharmaceutical merchandise containing CBD. Below the brand new legislation, it’s a crime to own, eat, site visitors and manufacture merchandise with CBD into Hong Kong. Though exemptions and licenses for permitted use might be granted to pick out people like medical professionals, anybody discovered with CBD on their individual might be jailed for a minimum of seven years and fined HK$1 million (US$127,580), whereas CBD traffickers and producers can face life imprisonment and HK$5 million (US$637,900) in fines.
On the coronary heart of Hong Kong’s blanket legislative management over CBD is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance present in hashish which has already been categorised as a harmful drug. The Hong Kong authorities believes even when merchandise are labeled THC-free, there’ll nonetheless be traces of it that might contaminate a CBD product irrespective of the extent of purification, and that CBD itself might naturally turn into THC. As well as, Hong Kong legislators suppose the jury remains to be out on CBD’s purported well being advantages till authoritative scientific proof turns into obtainable.
CBD in Hong Kong: A case of growth and bust
In 2021, when China banned CBD in all cosmetics merchandise, the displaced firms flocked to Hong Kong for a reset. Different forms of CBD distributors adopted and Hong Kong noticed the opening of Asia’s first CBD café and retail retailer, Discovered, which bought CBD way of life merchandise comparable to balms and oils alongside common espresso store fare with a CBD twist. Discovered additionally carried CBD pet merchandise to ease widespread pet illnesses and served Hong Kong’s pampered pets with CBD “puppuchinos” and cannabidiol-flavored treats. With the brand new CBD legislation, Discovered has since closed its doorways, however requested its clientele to observe its social media pages for updates.
By slamming the brakes on CBD and classifying it as a harmful drug, the Hong Kong authorities additionally successfully cleared pet outlets and on-line shops of their CBD inventories virtually in a single day. A fast seek for “CBD for pets” amongst numerous Hong Kong on-line pet outlets now produces zero outcomes. However one on-line pet store web site seems to nonetheless have CBD items, however provides this caveat: “Please word that we not ship merchandise containing CBD to Hong Kong. Solely merchandise with delivery locations are eligible for Hong Kong and Macau.”
Discovered’s guardian firm, Altum, which relies in Australia, additionally seems to have a CBD collaboration with Wai Yuen Tong, a well known conventional Chinese language drugs (TCM) supplier in Hong Kong, that went nowhere after the ban. A pet deal with complement known as Life X Wai Yuen Tong that exhibits up on Altum’s web site was supposed to enrich the vary of TCM pet complement merchandise from the native dispensary. Nonetheless, such product would not seem on Wai Yuen Tong’s on-line store.
In the meantime, all suppliers and retailers of products, together with these within the pet meals business, are suggested to make sure none of their merchandise for Hong Kong include any quantities of CBD and to overview their product packaging and labels for CBD elements.
