Czech Cabinet Backs 'Lex Kratom': Age 21, No E-Shops, Hemp Flower Curb
The bill would also ban selling technical hemp flower to individuals and converting CBD into other cannabinoids. The hemp industry says the wording reaches far beyond kratom.
This story is about Czechia — not the country you picked in the header.
Key takeaways
- The Czech government approved the 'lex kratom' amendment to the addictive substances law on September 14, 2026; it now goes to parliament.
- Psychomodulatory products, including kratom and low-THC cannabis extracts, would be sold only to people 21+, only in physical specialist shops.
- Selling technical hemp flower tops to individuals would be banned, as would enriching hemp with other substances and converting CBD or THCA into other chemicals.
- Kratom would carry a new excise tax and 21% VAT; the Finance Ministry expects about CZK 500 million in the first year.
- Hemp groups say vague wording could hit oils, seeds, teas and cosmetics; Health Minister Adam Vojtěch says processed CBD products like creams remain possible.
The Czech cabinet has approved a tougher regime for kratom and related products that would also reshape the country's hemp shops, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance announced on September 14, 2026. Health Minister Adam Vojtěch announced the approval.
What the bill contains
According to the Ministry of Health, the amendment would:
- Raise the age limit — psychomodulatory substances only for people 21 and over, up from 18.
- End remote sales — no e-shops; kratom only in physical specialist shops with age checks.
- Ban vending machines — for herbal smoking products.
- Hide shop interiors — windows and entrances shielded from view, no promotional signage.
- Curb hemp flower — no sales of technical hemp flower tops to individuals, which the ministry calls carriers of synthetic drugs, and no enriching hemp with other substances.
- Ban conversion — no turning CBD or THCA into other chemicals, except for authorized therapeutic or scientific purposes.
- Regulate nicotine pouches — under rules similar to e-cigarettes.
| Kratom tax item | Proposed rate |
|---|---|
| Standard kratom products | CZK 2 per gram or ml |
| Concentrated extracts | CZK 10 per gram or ml |
| Kratom sold illegally | CZK 20 per gram or ml |
| VAT on kratom | 21%, up from 12% |
The Finance Ministry estimates first-year revenue of about CZK 500 million. Finance Minister Alena Schillerová said the goal is clear standards and lower risk, not maximum revenue.
Why hemp sellers are alarmed
Hemp advocacy group Racionální regulace (RaRe) says the bill's vague wording could ban common, non-intoxicating products such as hemp-seed oil, flour, seeds, tea, creams and CBD cosmetics. Its Lukáš Hurt said the proposal would affect hundreds of thousands of people who use such products legally, Advokátní deník reported.
Minister Vojtěch disputed that reading, saying products processed into shampoos or creams remain possible. Magazín Konopí, citing RaRe, accused Prime Minister Andrej Babiš of going back on an earlier promise not to ban CBD and technical hemp. The bill keeps the 1% THC limit for technical hemp.
How it got here
The psychomodulatory substances regime takes effect, allowing licensed sale of kratom and low-THC cannabis extracts to adults.
The government reclassifies HHC as an addictive substance moving it off the regulated psychoactive list.
Police-led KORUND checks find violations in 77% of 291 inspected shops.
The government approves lex kratom.
The bill goes to the Chamber of Deputies; no effective date has been set.
Our guide to what Czech cannabis shops can legally sell will be updated if the bill passes.
FAQ
What is lex kratom in Czechia?
A government-approved amendment to Czech drug law, approved on September 14, 2026, that tightens rules for kratom and other psychomodulatory products and adds restrictions on hemp flower and cannabinoid conversion. It still needs parliamentary approval.
Will CBD be banned in the Czech Republic?
The bill does not ban CBD outright. It would ban selling technical hemp flower tops to individuals and converting CBD into other chemicals. Hemp groups fear its wording could catch oils and cosmetics; the health minister says creams and similar products remain possible.
When would the new Czech kratom rules apply?
Not yet. The government approved the bill on September 14, 2026 and sent it to parliament. No effective date has been set.
What would change for low-THC cannabis extracts?
They are psychomodulatory substances, so the age limit would rise from 18 to 21 and online sales would end. Sales would be limited to licensed physical shops.
Sources
- Ministerstvo zdravotnictví ČR — Vláda schválila Lex Kratom. Ministerstva zdravotnictví a financí zpřísňují regulaci kratomu i dalších rizikových výrobků · Sep 14, 2026
- Ministerstvo financí ČR — Vláda schválila Lex Kratom · Sep 14, 2026
- Advokátní deník — Experti: lex kratom zakazuje i konopné produkty jako mast či krém s CBD · Sep 16, 2026
- Magazín Konopí — Premiér Babiš klamal, když tvrdil, že nezakáže CBD a technické konopí · Sep 17, 2026
- ČT24 (Česká televize) — Vláda zařadila kanabinoid HHC na seznam zakázaných látek · Mar 16, 2026
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