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The mid-twenties had been looking for a natural remedy for sleep disorders and fears for a long time.
"Antidepressants and other medications didn't help me," says Timm Dötsch.
When his friends tell him about CBD, he senses some hope.
He googles "CBD Shop Cologne" and drives to the shop with the best rating.
The saleswoman in the hip hemp shop in downtown Cologne advises him, he buys an e-cigarette and an extract of the cannabis plant.
A so-called CBD liquid.
Name: "Green Mood".
Everything for less than 50 euros.
“That was very easy,” says Dötsch, who is actually called differently, but because of the health problems presented here, he did not want to appear under his real name.
CBD is sold in a legal gray area; some municipalities in Germany, including Cologne, prohibit the sale of certain products.
CBD shops are therefore afraid of police raids and fear for their existence.
The abbreviation stands for cannabidiol and is part of the hemp plant.
Unlike the intoxicating tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it has no psychoactive effects, so it doesn't get you high, but the chemical structure is similar.
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The products are easy to buy in more and more places, such as the kiosk or online shop.
The industry is booming.
The cannabis association estimates sales of CBD products at 1.8 billion euros per year in Germany alone.
The products are varied: there is mouth spray, oil and cookies.
In flower form, you can smoke it like a joint.
And it should work wonders: against headaches, insomnia, diarrhea, malaise, menstrual cramps, inner restlessness, depression.
Consumer advice center warns of poor quality
Angela Clausen works for the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia, she is critical of most of the products that are currently on the market.
It warns of side effects such as diarrhea, drowsiness or increased liver values.
Clausen also points out the increased THC levels in many products.
The food monitoring system found that more than half of the products checked in 2019 had excessively high, harmful THC levels.
“Even the legally contained amounts can lead to a positive result in a drug test,” says Clausen.
There is a lack of control, especially in online trading.
There are often medical promises that are not allowed to advertise.
Some suppliers also sell classic edible oil as a CBD product at expensive prices.
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Timm Dötsch from Köln-Kalk swears by CBD.
"It makes my everyday life easier, it slows down without making you tired." He is currently catching up with his Abitur at an evening school, so he can concentrate better on the lessons and deal with conflicts better.
Dötsch is in psychological treatment and has broken off two training courses.
“I don't smoke or drink because I don't like the feeling of losing control,” says the student.
From a legal point of view, the CBD flowers are particularly controversial, some federal states such as Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia treat them like normal weed for smoking according to the Narcotics Act.
Anyone who sells flowers there must expect imprisonment of several months.
For consumers all over Germany, proceedings due to CBD possession are usually discontinued out of insignificance.
One thing is clear, however: products with a THC content of over 0.2 fall under the Narcotics Act.
This is the case in some CBD products.
There is no guarantee that kiosk or online CBD products won't contain too much THC after all.
The consumer advocate sees the risks exclusively on the consumer side and advises against buying - even from the pharmacy or drugstore.
CBD products are intended to be classified as food
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The unexplained legal status of the CBD products concerns the authorities, after months of tug-of-war between the producers, the food authorities and the EU Commission, there is now more clarity: The EU Commission is examining the approval applications for CBD products that were put on hold a few months ago. Products as novel foods.
The commission had come to the conclusion that cannabidiol can be classified as a food.
The European Court of Justice had previously ruled that CBD "does not appear to have any psychotropic or harmful effects on human health".
CBD can also not be viewed as an "addictive substance" or "drug".
The industry is pleased: "A regulated CBD market in Germany and Europe is now more tangible," says Jürgen Neumeyer, Managing Director of the Cannabis Industry Association. Quality is in the interests of the consumer.
"There is also crap on the market, so legal requirements must be created."
The association demands uniform nationwide rules and wants to ensure quality with a seal of approval.
The content, origin, active ingredient content and dosage recommendations should be made uniform and transparent on the products.
The purchase should only be possible for adults.
Drug stores also sell CBD
The demand for CBD products is still high, confirm the drugstore chains Rossmann and dm on request.
There, too, people are happy about the new EU line.
Rossmann currently has 22 CBD products and has had problems with food authorities from time to time.
They could no longer claim that CBD falls under the Narcotics Act.
The drugstores, like many online shops, use a simple method to keep selling the CBD products.
The provider dm, for example, sells CBD aromatic oils.
The products on offer are "neither food nor dietary supplements, so that the strict food law requirements do not apply here," says dm managing director Sebastian Bayer.
On the packaging it is pointed out that they are not suitable for consumption, "even if the quality standards even meet the requirements of food standards".
Angela Clausen from the Consumer Advice Center in North Rhine-Westphalia appeals to consumers: "Anyone who wants to take CBD should definitely speak to a doctor or pharmacist beforehand about the extent to which interactions with other drugs are possible."
Like many others, Timm Dötsch never spoke to a doctor about his desire for CBD.
The psychotherapist with whom he is being treated has no objection to using CBD.
Dötsch is no exception, as dealers, drugstores and pharmacists report.
The hype is unlikely to stop for the time being, and possible side effects are not a deterrent.