THC-free CBD oil: what “not detected” really means

Every CBD oil starts from a hemp extract. What sets them apart is what has been kept or removed from that extract afterwards.

The 0.30% limit comes from the French order of 30 December 2021, which applies it to hemp varieties, their extracts and products that contain them. By mass, 0.30% is 3 mg of Δ⁹-THC per gram of oil.

The oils in our catalogue are all full spectrum. On the pages checked on 23 September 2026, their batches show 0.1 to 0.2% Δ⁹-THC, below the legal limit but not zero. If you are looking for a THC-free oil, these are not the right products. Our CBD oils show the measured profile of each batch, and our comparison of full spectrum and isolate details the differences in composition.

Hemp is first extracted, most often with supercritical CO2 or ethanol. The crude extract then contains all the plant's cannabinoids, THC included. There are two ways to remove the THC afterwards.

For an isolate, the CBD is purified until it crystallises, then diluted in a carrier oil. The product contains nothing but CBD, with no hemp aroma. Our article on 99% isolate explains how to read its purity on a certificate.

For a broad spectrum, the THC is removed from the extract by chromatography, a technique that separates molecules, while keeping the other cannabinoids and some of the terpenes. How well this works varies from one maker to another: only the batch analysis tells you whether it succeeded. Our definition of broad-spectrum CBD covers the process.

One argument often made for broad spectrum is the "entourage effect", the idea that hemp compounds work better together. It is a research hypothesis, not an effect shown in humans.

The label is not enough. In 2017, a US team analysed 84 CBD products bought online: THC was detected in 18 of them, or 21%, and only 31% showed an accurate CBD content. In France, the ANSES and ANSM health agencies relayed in June 2025 a study by addiction monitoring centres finding that 8 CBD products out of 10 have a CBD content different from the label.

On a certificate of analysis, four points settle the question:

1. The Δ⁹-THC line: "ND" (not detected) means below the method's limit of detection; "< LOQ" means below its limit of quantification, the smallest amount it measures reliably. These limits should appear on the document.
2. The THCA line, if measured: when heated, this acid form turns into THC.
3. The batch number, which must match the one on the bottle.
4. No cannabinoids classified as narcotics. HHC has been on that list since June 2023, and on 3 June 2024 the ANSM added H4CBD and THCP, among others; THCA is excluded when the product's THC meets the 0.3% limit.

Our guide to reading a certificate of analysis goes through each line, and the laboratory page describes the measurement methods.

For drivers, article L235-1 of the French Highway Code punishes driving after drug use with three years in prison and a 9,000 € fine, with no minimum THC level. On 21 June 2023, the Court of Cassation ruled that permission to sell hemp derivatives under 0.30% THC "has no bearing on the offence of driving after drug use". A driver who tests positive after a legal oil can still be prosecuted. Our guide to saliva, blood and urine testing details detection windows.

Urine test studies show the difference between pure CBD and CBD that comes with THC. In 2020, six adults took 100 mg of pure CBD: none of the 218 urine samples exceeded the confirmation cut-off. In a larger study published in 2022, no conversion of CBD into THC was seen, but vaporised CBD-rich cannabis containing 3.7 mg of THC made three participants out of 18 test positive in urine. These trials looked at a single dose; daily use was not tested.

For athletes, CBD is permitted by the World Anti-Doping Agency, but THC remains banned in competition above 150 ng/mL in urine. The US Anti-Doping Agency warns that it is very difficult to obtain a truly pure CBD extract. Our update on CBD and the 2026 anti-doping list sets out the rules.

Selling a CBD oil rests on three texts. The 2021 order sets the 0.30% Δ⁹-THC ceiling. On 29 December 2022, the Council of State struck down the ban on selling raw flowers and leaves, without touching the limit. And food law decides whether the product may be swallowed.

On that last point, the French agriculture ministry restated on 20 May 2026 that foods containing CBD are not authorised, food supplements included, for lack of an EU novel food authorisation. On 9 February 2026, EFSA published a provisional safe intake of 2 mg of CBD a day for a 70 kg adult, for CBD at least 98% pure. This benchmark is not an authorisation. Our article on CBD regulation in 2026 covers what remains on sale.