The government of Slovakia has rejected a law that would make CBD legal – and remains the one European nation to ban it.
In August lawmakers unveiled a draft law to remove CBD from the list of psychotropic substances and instead define it as a non-regulated substance.
However the proposed legislation was rejected by the Slovakian Parliament and CBD remains in the same category as THC, amphetamine, cocaine and morphine, reports Lexology.
Slovakia is the only country in the EU where CBD is a regulated substance.
The Slovakian Government classed CBD as a regulated substance in 2011, when officials placed the ingredient into Group 2 of the Psychotropic Substances Act.
Bizarrely, CBD appears to have been added by mistake during a ruling for the drug Sativex, which contains both CBD and THC.
The Slovak parliament claimed they did not know Sativex included CBD but still decided not to remove the cannabinoid from Group 2.
The handling, import and export of CBD from the Slovak Republic effectively needs the permission of the Ministry of Health.
Last month The Leaf Desk reported anti-money laundering laws in the UK were preventing sufficient investment in the cannabis industry throughout the EU.
Investors are reportedly fearful about taking the leap of faith into the European cannabis industry in light of the UK’s strict law entitled ‘The Proceeds of Crime Act’.
UK investors funding companies based in countries with a legalised status of cannabis may potentially be in breach of the Proceeds of Crime Act and be indirectly found guilty of money laundering.
