CBD oil: definition, spectrums and French law in 2026
CBD oil is a hemp extract rich in cannabidiol, diluted in a carrier vegetable oil: MCT, hemp seed or olive oil. It is sold as full spectrum, broad spectrum or isolate, and its strength is read in milligrams, with about 5 mg of CBD in one drop of a 10% oil. Since May 2026 France allows its sale only under regimes other than food or food supplement, such as cosmetics.
- 01Definition: a hemp extract diluted in oil
- 02CBD oil or flower: the differences
- 03Reading the strength: percent, milligrams and drops
- 04Full spectrum, broad spectrum, isolate
- 05French law in 2026: banned as food, allowed as a cosmetic
- 06Choosing and checking an oil
- 07Precautions and storage
- 08Frequently asked questions
Key takeaways
- A CBD oil is a hemp extract plus a carrier oil that dilutes it.
- At 10%, a 10 ml bottle holds about 1,000 mg of CBD, close to 5 mg per drop.
- EFSA's provisional reference sits at about 2 mg of CBD per day for a 70 kg adult.
- The French Ministry of Agriculture declared foods containing CBD illegal on 20 May 2026.
- Full spectrum carries up to 0.30% THC, which can be enough for a positive saliva test.
Definition: a hemp extract diluted in oil
A CBD oil has two components. One is an extract of hemp flowering tops, usually obtained with supercritical CO₂ or ethanol. The other is a vegetable oil that brings it down to the chosen strength: MCT oil made from coconut, hemp seed oil or olive oil. Cannabinoids dissolve in fat, hence the fatty carrier. Each step is described in our article on how CBD oil is made.
Hemp seed oil is a different product. It is pressed from the seeds, which hold no significant amount of CBD, and it is still an authorised food oil. Our comparison of CBD oil, hemp seed oil and cannabis sets out how they differ.
CBD oil or flower: the differences
A CBD flower is a dried hemp flower head, sold raw for smoking or vaporising. A CBD oil is a hemp extract diluted in a carrier oil. Since 20 May 2026, France has allowed CBD oil only under regimes other than food, cosmetics for example. Flowers and oils alike are capped at 0.30% Δ⁹-THC.
| Criterion | CBD flower | CBD oil |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Dried hemp flower head, sold raw | Hemp extract diluted in a carrier oil: MCT, hemp or olive |
| CBD content | 6.7 to 14.4% of the weight across the 72 flowers of the Phytogrammes catalogue (23 September 2026) | Set by the maker and read in mg: about 1,000 mg in 10 ml at 10% |
| Terpenes | Those of the plant | Depends on the spectrum: present in full spectrum, absent from an isolate |
| Intended use at sale | Smoked or vaporised | Applied to the skin, as a cosmetic |
| Sale as food | Banned: no flower "for infusion" or "for cooking" | Banned since 20 May 2026 |
| Δ⁹-THC | 0.30% at most | 0.30% at most in the finished product |
| What to check | Batch, CBD and Δ⁹-THC on the certificate | mg of CBD per bottle, spectrum, batch and Δ⁹-THC |
How a flower is used, and the legal frame for each use, is the subject of our article on consuming a CBD flower. The catalogue levels are in our survey of the 72 flowers.
Reading the strength: percent, milligrams and drops
Labels give strength either as a percentage or as milligrams per bottle. On a 10 ml bottle, "10%" means about 1,000 mg of CBD, or 100 mg per millilitre. Drops per millilitre vary with the dropper. At 20 drops per millilitre, one drop of a 10% oil holds about 5 mg.
| Strength | CBD in 10 ml | Per ml | Per drop (20 drops/ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 500 mg | 50 mg | 2.5 mg |
| 10% | 1,000 mg | 100 mg | 5 mg |
| 20% | 2,000 mg | 200 mg | 10 mg |
| 30% | 3,000 mg | 300 mg | 15 mg |
Read these figures against the only official reference. On 9 February 2026 EFSA set a provisional safe intake level of 0.0275 mg per kilo of body weight per day, about 2 mg for a 70 kg adult. It covers CBD of at least 98% purity. Safety is not established under 25, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for people on medication. At any strength in the table, a single drop is already above that level.
How EFSA arrived at this figure, and what its limits are, is explained in our article on EFSA's reference dose.
Full spectrum, broad spectrum, isolate
What separates one oil from another is how much of the plant the extract retains.
| Type | What it contains | THC | Watch point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full spectrum | CBD, minor cannabinoids, terpenes | Present, up to 0.30% | Can trigger a positive saliva test |
| Broad spectrum | CBD and minor cannabinoids | Removed, below the stated detection limit | Check the THC line on the certificate |
| Isolate | Purified CBD, often 99% | Absent | No terpenes or other cannabinoids |
Full spectrum is often marketed on the strength of the "entourage effect". The term comes from a 1998 study by Raphael Mechoulam's team, which looked at molecules produced by the body itself. Applying it to plant terpenes and minor cannabinoids is still a hypothesis. Our article on the entourage effect reviews where the evidence stands, and our comparison of full spectrum and isolate will help you choose.
French law in 2026: banned as food, allowed as a cosmetic
This is the biggest change. On 20 May 2026 the Ministry of Agriculture published a statement titled "Foods containing cannabidiol (CBD): illegal products that must be withdrawn from the market". Its basis is the EU novel food regulation, under which CBD is not authorised because its safety has not been demonstrated. That covers any oil presented as a food supplement or meant to be swallowed, in the same way as capsules and gummies. In June 2025 the ANSM and ANSES had already written that foods containing CBD, oils included, are not authorised for sale in the European Union.
A separate text governs an oil sold as a cosmetic: Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Such an oil is meant for the skin, for massage or care, and its label must carry the cosmetic particulars, the INCI list among them. Swallowing it goes beyond the use the maker intended. Our article on labelling a CBD product lists these particulars, and our overview of the 2026 rules covers the rest of the framework.
Whatever the regime, the finished product must not exceed 0.30% Δ⁹-THC. No oil may claim an effect on a disease either. Epidyolex, available on prescription, is the only authorised CBD medicine.
Choosing and checking an oil
You can check six lines on the label and on the batch certificate of analysis before you buy:
- The amount of CBD in mg per bottle; a percentage alone is not enough.
- The spectrum type and the carrier oil.
- The batch number, which must match on the bottle and on the analysis.
- The measured Δ⁹-THC, at 0.30% or less.
- No HHC, H4CBD or THCP, where the lab tested for them.
- The regime the oil is sold under, cosmetic or other, and the use given on the label.
These checks have a basis. The 2023 report funded by MILDECA analysed ten products bought in pharmacies, mostly oils. One in ten exceeded 0.3% THC, and the CBD content matched the label in only half the cases. Our guide to the certificate of analysis goes through each section. Our products are listed in the CBD oils category.
Precautions and storage
On 21 March 2025 ANSES proposed classifying CBD as presumed toxic for reproduction (category 1B), on the basis of animal studies. That gives pregnant or breastfeeding women, and anyone planning a pregnancy, a specific reason to abstain. Use by minors is also advised against.
According to the ANSM and ANSES, CBD taken alongside some medicines can make them less effective or worsen their side effects. If you are on any treatment, ask a doctor or pharmacist. A full-spectrum oil contains THC, and that can be enough for a positive roadside saliva test.
Light, heat and air degrade cannabinoids, so store the bottle closed, away from light and heat. Practical guidelines are in our article on storing CBD oil.
Frequently asked questions
A flower is a dried hemp flower head, sold raw for smoking or vaporising. An oil is a hemp extract diluted in a carrier oil. In France it has been sold as a cosmetic since CBD foods were banned on 20 May 2026. Both are capped at 0.30% Δ⁹-THC.
CBD oil contains an extract of the flowers, which is rich in cannabidiol. Hemp seed oil is pressed from the seeds and is a food oil, with no significant amount of CBD.
That depends on the strength and on the dropper. At 20 drops per millilitre, one drop holds about 2.5 mg at 5%, 5 mg at 10% and 10 mg at 20%.
Yes, under some regimes such as cosmetics, provided it holds no more than 0.30% Δ⁹-THC. As a food or food supplement it is not: the Ministry of Agriculture declared those products illegal on 20 May 2026.
A full-spectrum oil can, because it contains THC. On 21 June 2023 the Cour de cassation ruled that a driver who tests positive is not cleared by the legality of the product consumed.
It is more concentrated, which is a different thing. One drop at 30% holds about 15 mg of CBD, over seven times EFSA's provisional reference for an entire day.
Written by the Phytogrammes team
Each journal article draws on cited primary sources: ANSM, EFSA, EUR-Lex and peer-reviewed publications. Product profiles are distinguished from documented laboratory results. Our approach.
Article published on . CBD is not a medicine.