CBD in Malta: What Shops May Sell and Who Polices It

Walk down a busy street in Sliema and the green cross on the window suggests approval. There is none of the kind the association system gives. A CBD shop is an ordinary retailer, and what you can rely on is the label, the batch test and the seller's honesty.

Which rules apply to which product

The 0.2% line sits in the definition of cannabis in the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 101, art. 2). Act XII of 2025, published on 16 May 2025, reworded it: seeds and products derived from non-psychoactive phytocannabinoids (CBD, CBG, CBC and CBDV, listed in the Fifth Schedule) stay outside if they contain no more than 0.2% psychoactive cannabinoids. The 2021 text spoke of 0.2% THC. Synthetic cannabinoids in any product form count as cannabis. It says nothing about whether the product is safe, accurately labelled or authorised as food.

What EFSA said in 2026

CBD was classed as a novel food by the European Commission because significant consumption before 15 May 1997 could not be shown, EFSA's own FAQ explains. Only products on the EU's positive list may be sold as such. In 2026 EFSA published opinions on two CBD dossiers with different outcomes.

The isolate opinion listed data gaps: formulation uncertainty, nanoparticles that could not be excluded, thin human studies and possible effects on the central nervous system. The synthetic-CBD opinion is a safety opinion, not an authorisation: the Commission and member states still have to decide, as FoodNavigator reported on 21 September 2026. We did not find a CBD food supplement on the Union list; check the Commission's list of novel foods for the current position.

What ARUC has and has not done about shops

In February 2026 ARUC said it had acted, with the Planning Authority, over a commercial low-THC outlet that opened near Stella Maris College in Gżira, and the advertising was removed. In April 2025 it had said CC9-type edibles sold by commercial entities were outside its remit and that it had proposed amendments then under parliamentary debate. Parliament passed them on 12 May 2025 (Act XII of 2025): ARUC now acts as regulator for any activity involving cannabis derivatives and products, and may enforce other cannabis legislation with the written authorisation of the competent body (Cap. 628, art. 3(3)(d) and (q)). Its stated line is that the 2021 reform was never meant to promote normalisation.

• Batch test: ask for a certificate of analysis showing CBD and THC content for the batch you are holding; our COA guide shows how to read it.
• THC at or below 0.2%: if the label lists more, or none, do not buy.
• No medical claims: a shop that says CBD treats a condition is off the label rules.
• Novel-food wording: check whether the label calls it a food supplement or cosmetic, and treat unauthorised food claims with caution.
• Age: ask who they serve; we found no Maltese rule that sets a minimum age for buying CBD.