The European Court of Justice recently ruled that an EU Member State cannot prohibit the marketing of CBD that has been lawfully produced in another Member State, as to do so would be in breach of EU law on the free movement of goods.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (Fourth Chamber)
19 November 2020 (*)
(Reference for a preliminary ruling – Free movement of goods – Common organisation of the markets in the flax and hemp sector – Exceptions – Protection of public health – National legislation limiting the industrialisation and marketing of hemp solely to fibre and seeds – Cannabidiol (CBD))
In Case C‑663/18,
REQUEST for a preliminary ruling under Article 267 TFEU from the Cour d’appel d’Aix-en-Provence (Court of Appeal, Aix-en-Provence, France), made by decision of 23 October 2018, received at the Court on 23 October 2018, in the criminal proceedings against
B S,
C A
intervening parties:
Ministère public,
Conseil national de l’ordre des pharmaciens,
THE COURT (Fourth Chamber),
composed of M. Vilaras, President of the Chamber, N. Piçarra, D. Šváby, S. Rodin (Rapporteur) and K. Jürimäe, Judges,
Advocate General: E. Tanchev,
Registrar: V. Giacobbo, Administrator,
having regard to the written procedure and further to the hearing on 23 October 2019,
after considering the observations submitted on behalf of:
– B S, by X. Pizarro and I. Metton, avocats,
– C A, by E. van Keymeulen, M. De Vallois, A. Vey and L.‑M. De Roux, avocats,
– the French Government, by A.‑L. Desjonquères and C. Mosser and by R. Coesme, acting as Agents,
– the Greek Government, by G. Kanellopoulos and by A. Vasilopoulou, acting as Agents,
– the European Commission, by A. Lewis, M. Huttunen and M. Kaduczak, acting as Agents,
after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 14 May 2020,
gives the following
Judgment
1 This request for a preliminary ruling concerns the interpretation of Articles 34 and 36 TFEU, of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing rules for direct payments to farmers under support schemes within the framework of the common agricultural policy and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 637/2008 and Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 (OJ 2013 L 347, p. 608), and of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (OJ 2013 L 347, p. 671).
2 The request has been made in the context of criminal proceedings instituted in France against B S and C A, in relation to the marketing and distribution of a hemp oil electronic cigarette.
Legal context
International law
The HS and the HS Explanatory Notes
– The HS
3 The Customs Cooperation Council, now the World Customs Organization (WCO), was established by the Convention establishing a Customs Cooperation Council, concluded in Brussels on 15 December 1950. The Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System (‘the HS’) was drawn up by the WCO and established by the International Convention on the Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System, concluded in Brussels on 14 June 1983 and approved, with its amending protocol of 24 June 1986, on behalf of the European Economic Community by Council Decision 87/369/EEC of 7 April 1987 (OJ 1987 L 198, p. 1) (‘the HS Convention’).
4 Heading 29.32 of the HS Convention, which is contained in Chapter 29 thereof, entitled ‘Organic chemicals’, is worded as follows: