Is CBD Legal in Italy?

CBD is effectively banned in Italy following Decree-Law 48/2025. Italy's April 2025 emergency decree reclassified cannabidiol (CBD) — including all hemp-derived CBD products — as a narcotic substance under Italian law. This applies to CBD oils, edibles, vapes, cosmetics, and hemp flower regardless of THC content. The ban is among the strictest in the European Union and directly conflicts with EU free movement of goods principles established in the 2020 Kanavape ECJ ruling.

Italian authorities have conducted raids on CBD retailers, seized inventory, and issued legal notices to distributors. Cross-border e-commerce of CBD into Italy is prohibited, and customs are actively seizing shipments. Legal challenges are ongoing in Italian courts and at the EU level, but the national ban remains officially in force as of 2026.

2026 update: the ban remains in force but is under active legal challenge. In November 2025 the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State) referred to the Court of Justice of the EU the question of whether Italy's ban on marketing hemp inflorescences is compatible with EU law — a referral that could reshape CBD rules across all 27 member states. The same court suspended the reclassification of oral CBD preparations as medicines in December 2025, pending a ruling expected in 2026. CBD extracted from hemp seeds or stalks, rather than flowers or inflorescences, is generally treated as outside the inflorescence ban. Brands should track these proceedings before re-entering the Italian market.