Legal cannabis oil sold in British health shops can get users high, study shows

The legal version of cannabis sold as a health product in the UK can get users ‘high’ and even make it dangerous to drive, a study has found.

Cannabis oils and capsules said to help reduce anxiety and pain are on sale in high street stores including Holland & Barrett and are used by more than 250,000 Britons.

They are sold legally because they contain no more than 0.2 per cent of the mind-altering substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is found in the illegal version of the drug.

But now scientists have found that the active ingredient in these products, cannabidiol (CBD), is also psychoactive. In the study, subjects used a vape to inhale different strains of cannabis.

Those using the version containing CBD but not illegal THC reported levels of intoxication three times that of those who used only a placebo. In addition, experts said subjects felt detached from reality.

Scientists from Wollongong University in Australia concluded that driving under the influence of CBD cannabis ‘may be harmful’. 

The finding comes amid calls for the form of cannabis containing THC to also be legalised for medicinal and recreational purposes.

Last night, Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, chairman of an All- Party Parliamentary Group investigating the effects of cannabis on the brain, said: ‘This is a startling revelation. For many years we have been told that THC was the key cause of cognitive issues stemming from cannabis, and that CBD held the “holy grail” of benefits.

‘These studies show that it is far more complex than simply isolating a few inherent compounds.

Cannabis oils and capsules are sold legally because they contain no more than 0.2 per cent of the mind-altering substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is found in the illegal version of the drug [File photo]

‘Cannabis in its raw form contains more than 400 chemicals, so how long will it be until the next cure-all is miraculously discovered by pro-legalisers, only to be put down by science once again?

‘It is high time for there to be a full scientific investigation into the harmful effects of cannabis and its chemical compounds to put this misinformation to rest once and for all.’

Almost £6 million of CBD health supplements were sold last year. The products cost up to £60 and have soared in popularity amid claims that they help combat anxiety, insomnia and muscle and joint pain.

There is also an emerging market of recreational CBD cannabis. Globally, CBD cannabis is expected to be worth almost £2 billion by next year, with dozens of companies poised to invest in the burgeoning industry.

Drinks giant Diageo – which owns Guinness and Gordon’s gin – is reported to be creating new CBD-infused drinks.