Buying cannabis online: risks and the legal alternative

Cannabis remains classified as a narcotic in France, as do its derivatives with a significant THC content. Purchase, possession and consumption are penalised by the Criminal Code, including when the transaction takes place on a website or through a private messaging service. The apparent anonymity of an online purchase changes nothing about the criminal classification of the offence.

Beyond the criminal risk, buying illegal cannabis online carries several specific dangers:

• No control over composition. Without a certificate of analysis, there is no way to know the real THC content, nor whether contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals or moulds are present.
• Risk of a scam. Many sites presented as online cannabis shops never deliver the order, or misappropriate the bank details supplied at the time of payment.
• Risk of synthetic cannabinoids. Some products sold as "classic" cannabis in fact contain undeclared synthetic cannabinoids, whose health effects are poorly documented and potentially serious.
• No recourse. In the event of a dispute or a dangerous product, no legitimate customer service and no legal guarantee protects the buyer from a site operating outside the law.

In France, the sale of CBD-based products is authorised under strict conditions: a THC content at or below 0.3 % (order of 30 December 2021), traceability of the hemp's origin, and compliance with the European Novel Food status for ingested products. Unlike illegal cannabis, a CBD product sold by a serious operator comes with an independent certificate of analysis that can be consulted before purchase. Our guide to buying quality CBD sets out the criteria to check.

A compliant site clearly displays the certificate of analysis for each batch, the cannabinoid content and the origin of the hemp, and complies with the French rules governing CBD, notably the Novel Food status for ingestible products. The absence of this information should raise the alarm, as should a promise of a therapeutic effect, which is prohibited for this type of product in France.

Is buying cannabis online legal in France?

No, as long as the product exceeds the legal THC threshold (0.3 %). Recreational cannabis remains a narcotic, whatever purchase channel is used.

What is the difference between illegal cannabis and legal CBD?

Legal CBD complies with a strict THC threshold and verifiable traceability, unlike cannabis sold outside the regulatory framework, whose composition remains unknown.

How can you check the quality of a CBD product before buying?

By asking for the certificate of analysis of the batch concerned, which states the real cannabinoid content and the absence of contaminants.

What do you risk by buying illegal cannabis online?

Criminal prosecution for possession or use, together with health risks linked to the total absence of quality control on the product received.