CBD for animals: is it legal in the Netherlands? Rules explained

Legal status in the Netherlands

CBD (cannabidiol) is an active substance derived from the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). In the Netherlands, the legal status for use in animals is complex and opaque for many owners. This article explains the applicable rules in plain language.

Veterinary medicinal product or feed supplement?

Whether a CBD product is assessed as a veterinary medicinal product or as a feed supplement depends on how the product is presented:

• With a health claim (e.g. "reduces joint pain", "supports in epilepsy"): the product then falls under the definition of a veterinary medicinal product. On the basis of EU Regulation 2019/6 and the Dutch Wet dieren (Animals Act), veterinary medicinal products are only authorised with a marketing authorisation from the CBG-MEB (Medicines Evaluation Board). At present, there is no single registered CBD-containing veterinary medicinal product in the Netherlands.
• Without a health claim, as a food supplement or animal feed: for humans, CBD falls under the EU Novel Food Regulation (2015/2283) as an unapproved novel food ingredient. For animal feed, a similar framework applies under Regulation (EC) 767/2009. Here too, formal EU approval for CBD is lacking.

In practice, this means that most CBD products sold freely for pets in the Netherlands have an unclear or legally non-compliant status.

NVWA supervision

The Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (NVWA) (Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) supervises both veterinary medicinal products and animal feed. The NVWA has taken enforcement action on several occasions against suppliers of CBD products for animals where health claims were made. Suppliers risk a penalty payment order or a product recall.

The cascade: what a veterinary surgeon may do

Veterinary surgeons may, under certain circumstances, step outside the range of registered products via the so-called cascade (also known as the prescribing cascade). This is a stepwise system: when no registered veterinary medicinal product is available for a specific condition in a specific animal species, a veterinary surgeon may consider in sequence:

1. applying a registered product for a different animal species,
2. using a registered human medicinal product, or
3. prescribing a magistral preparation (custom-compounded by a pharmacist).

Via the cascade, a veterinary surgeon may therefore use CBD. The veterinary surgeon thereby bears full responsibility for the choice and its justification. The available clinical research is currently limited and inconsistent [1][2][3][4][5], which raises the threshold for application in practice.

Special position of the horse

For horses, additional restrictions apply. In the EU, horses are considered food-producing animals, unless they are permanently excluded from the food chain via their UELN passport (IETS form). Regulation (EU) 37/2010 governs which substances are permitted in food-producing animals; CBD is not listed there. Use in horses that are not permanently excluded from the food chain entails additional legal risks and possible residue problems.

Overview by situation

Always seek advice from a veterinary surgeon before giving CBD to your animal. Only a veterinary surgeon can assess whether use is safe and responsible for your specific animal — taking into account current medication, the condition and the legal context.