Sales of medicinal products containing the marijuana-derived drug cannabidiol have gone ahead “without incident”, the Minister of Health said yesterday.

Kim Wilson told MPs that CBD products had been bought in pharmacies without a prescription and over-the-counter for the past two months. She said: “This enables a trained mental health professional to discuss the matter with a patient and provide health education on its appropriate use.”

Ms Wilson announced in November last year that CBD-containing products with less than 1 per cent tetrahydrocannabinol “could be safely reclassified as an over-the-counter medicine rather than a controlled substance”.

Ms Wilson said this would end the burden of processing applications and remove barriers to access.

She added: “This approach is consistent with that of other jurisdictions. For example, the UK has recently classified CBD oil as a medicine.”

CBD products can only be sold in pharmacies and dispensed by a pharmacist.

Ms Wilson added: “CBD containing products with less than 1 per cent THC pose no risk of addiction or abuse through diversion for recreational purposes, and may safely be accessible to the public for medicinal use.”

Commercial importation is allowed only with health ministry approval.

• Anyone interested in importing CBD products should contact the Chief Medical Officer at officeofcmo@gov.bm