The CBD market in France: continuous growth since 2021

Before the Kanavape ruling, the sale of CBD in France rested on a fragile legal basis, limited to certain parts of the plant. The clarification brought by the Court of Justice of the European Union, and then by the subsequent decisions of the Conseil d'État, allowed a growing number of traders to move into selling CBD, in physical shops as well as online.

The market quickly broadened beyond sublingual oil: flowers and resins to infuse, topical cosmetics, herbal teas, and more recently more elaborate formats such as gummies or products combining CBD with other minor cannabinoids. This diversification has gone hand in hand with a better understanding of the product among the general public over the years.

The research firm Xerfi, which tracks the CBD market in France, confirms a trajectory of continuous growth for the sector over the 2023-2025 period, driven both by the opening of new points of sale and by ever-broader demand from the general public. This growth is nonetheless accompanied by heightened requirements in terms of regulatory compliance, particularly since the changes to the legal framework in 2026.

This growth has not come without obstacles. Traders have had to cope with repeated regulatory changes, legal uncertainty that persisted until the Conseil d'État decisions of 2022, and then with the entry into force of Novel Food status for ingested products. This instability has pushed many operators to invest more in compliance than in growing their turnover alone.

With the sector's growth has come a stronger requirement for traceability: systematic certificates of analysis, monitoring of the THC threshold, compliance with Novel Food status for ingested products. The most serious operators now stand out through the transparency of their practices rather than through the price on the label alone. Our guide to buying CBD sets out the criteria to check before choosing a supplier.

How long has the CBD market existed in France?

Its legal basis became clearer from the Kanavape ruling of November 2020 onwards, even though hemp-based products already existed under more restrictive regulations.

Is the French CBD market still growing?

Yes, according to data from the Xerfi research firm, growth is continuing over the 2023-2025 period, driven by rising demand from the general public.

Which types of CBD product are the most widespread today?

Sublingual oils, flowers to infuse, topical cosmetics and herbal teas remain the most common formats, alongside more recent products such as gummies.

Does the market's growth come with more checks?

Yes, requirements for traceability and regulatory compliance, such as certificates of analysis, the THC threshold or Novel Food status, have tightened as the sector has matured.