Is CBD legal in Romania? What the law says in 2026

In the Kanavape case (C-663/18), on 19 November 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that CBD is not a narcotic drug under the 1961 UN Single Convention, even when it is extracted from the whole hemp plant.

The Court also held that a member state may not ban the sale of CBD lawfully produced in another EU country unless the ban is necessary and proportionate to protect public health. The Court's reading binds every EU country, Romania included.

Cannabis and THC are controlled substances in Romania (Law 143/2000 and Law 339/2005). Industrial hemp may be grown only from varieties listed in the EU catalogue, and since 1 January 2023 EU rules allow at most 0.3 % THC in the plant, up from 0.2 % before (Regulation (EU) 2021/2115).

For the finished product — oil, cream, balm — Romanian law sets no THC threshold. The 0.2 % on many labels comes from the EU rule for the plant before 2023, not from any rule for the product in the shop.

And “certified variety” and “under 0.2 % THC” are two different claims: the first is about the field, the second about the product. Only the batch lab report confirms the second, with THC “not detected” or only traces.

In practice the question is not “CBD: yes or no” but “what kind of product is it”. The same extract can be fine in a cream and unauthorised in a capsule.

CBD cosmetics are allowed if they meet Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and are notified in the EU CPNP portal before sale. Food made from hemp seeds — seeds, oil, flour, protein — is not novel food and is sold like any other food.

CBD added to food and supplements is novel food (Regulation (EU) 2015/2283) and needs an EU authorisation. In February 2026 EFSA set a provisional safe level of about 2 mg of CBD a day for a 70 kg adult, valid only for supplements with CBD at least 98 % pure, and in September 2026 it gave its first positive opinion on an application. An opinion is not an authorisation, though: the decision lies with the European Commission and the member states.

CBD products are for adults, and the shop does not sell to anyone under 18. For vape products the rule is written in law: they are sold only to people aged 18 or over (Law 201/2016, as amended in 2024).

That is why, when a vape product is delivered, the courier checks your age, and the parcel cannot be left in a locker — it goes only to an address, handed over in person.

Before you order, go through these five questions. If a seller cannot answer them, you have reason to look elsewhere, and a problem with a product can be reported to ANPC, Romania's consumer protection authority.

• Does your batch have a lab report from an independent lab, with the same batch number as on the pack — not a “sample” one?
• Does the report show THC “not detected” or only traces?
• Does the label state the product's regime and how to use it?
• Does the description talk about composition, or does it promise treatment? The second breaks EU rules.
• Does the seller show its company name, tax ID (CUI), registration number, registered office and contact details on the site (Law 365/2002)?

This article sums up the law in force on its publication date and does not replace advice from a lawyer.