In May 2026, France’s Ministry of Agriculture announced a new enforcement measure. The DGAL would extend its existing controls to all food products containing CBD or other cannabinoids, or illegally highlighting them on their labelling. Targeted controls had already been in place since 2023. The products had not necessarily changed. What changed was the French authorities’ approach to enforcing the rules governing food products containing CBD. Industry representatives estimate that the measures could affect nearly 2,000 producers and approximately 2,500 specialised CBD shops in France. Around 20,000 pharmacies may also be affected. These are industry estimates and have not been independently verified. For any brand selling into France — or planning to — this is a live case study in cannabis localisation Europe. The same cannabinoid may consequently be subject to different regulatory requirements depending on the product’s composition, nature, presentation and intended use.
Cannabis Localisation Europe: What France’s DGAL Enforcement Plan Covers
The French authorities hold that EU Novel Food rules prohibit CBD food products from sale. The DGAL’s control plan therefore applies Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. That regulation covers foods not consumed to a significant degree in the EU before 15 May 1997, within one of the defined novel food categories. As a result, novel foods require authorisation before placement on the EU market. Hemp-derived CBD extracts used in food supplements fall inside that scope.
Hemp seeds and certain derived products — such as hemp seed oil — have a recognised consumption history. They are therefore not novel foods where the applicable conditions are met. However, the exception does not apply when products have been enriched with CBD, THC or other cannabinoid extracts.
Cannabis Localisation Europe: Practical Scope of the DGAL Plan
In practice, the French enforcement approach covers food products containing CBD. This includes food supplements and other products presented for sale as food. Whether a CBD-containing product falls within the Novel Food framework depends on two things: whether it qualifies as a food, and the product’s relevant characteristics and intended use. A commercial description such as ‘resin’ does not determine that classification on its own. Cosmetics and e-liquids, for example, are not foods. They therefore fall outside the scope of Regulation 2015/2283, although they remain subject to the regulatory requirements applicable to their respective product categories.
The EU Novel Food process continues to evolve. In September 2026, EFSA published scientific opinions on synthetic CBD. These covered CBD isolated from Cannabis sativa L. and Cannabis sativa L. extract. However, these opinions do not themselves authorise the products for sale. The European Commission has also terminated a number of CBD authorisation procedures without updating the Union list — a pattern documented in our analysis of CBD Novel Food closures and their translation implications. The French enforcement position consequently sits within an ongoing EU authorisation process.
For brands operating across EU markets, accurate localisation therefore starts with product classification. The applicable regulatory category must be established for each product in each market. In addition, French-language labelling must reflect that classification and the product’s actual characteristics. Transposing terms directly from an English source document is not enough.
CBD Product Classification in France: Résine vs. Complément Alimentaire
This is the key distinction for anyone translating a CBD product label into French. Résine (resin) and complément alimentaire (food supplement) are not stylistic synonyms. They signal different regulatory contexts. A translator who treats them as interchangeable may therefore misrepresent the product’s intended category and create additional compliance risk. The appropriate terminology must align with the product’s actual classification in the target market.
A food supplement containing CBD falls within the scope of France’s 2026 enforcement approach. Whether a CBD-containing product falls within the Novel Food framework depends on whether it qualifies as a food and on the product’s relevant characteristics and intended use. However, a commercial description alone does not determine that classification.
According to industry representatives, the French enforcement measures could have significant commercial implications for businesses selling CBD food products.
Translators therefore need access to product-specific regulatory guidance. Without it, accurately rendering terms such as ‘supplement’ and ‘resin’ in the French market is not straightforward. A term that appears synonymous in English may consequently point to a completely different regulatory category in French. That gap is where compliance risk lives.
Cannabis Localisation Europe: What It Means for Your EU Product Labelling
France illustrates how national enforcement practices can affect businesses operating under the EU Novel Food framework. Although France, Germany and the Netherlands share that framework, national enforcement practices and other applicable product rules may differ. As a result, a product’s regulatory category does not automatically transfer from one jurisdiction to another. Brands selling in multiple markets should therefore verify the applicable requirements in each jurisdiction.
Inconsistencies between labelling and supporting regulatory documentation may create additional compliance risk. This holds regardless of whether each document is individually correct. Getting cannabis localisation Europe right consequently means treating each market’s label as its own regulatory artefact. It is not a translated copy of the others.
For specialist cannabis translation services across EU markets, visit our cannabis translation services page.
Conclusion
In May 2026, the DGAL extended controls to all food products containing CBD or other cannabinoids. Products illegally highlighting cannabinoids on their labelling fell within scope too. However, the legal basis and scope of that approach remain subject to legal challenge. The French case therefore illustrates the practical reality of selling cannabinoid products in Europe. The applicable regulatory framework often turns on how a product is categorised and presented — not only on what it contains. For cannabinoid products, translation must consequently account for product classification and market-specific regulatory requirements as well as linguistic accuracy. Which single term on your label carries the most regulatory weight? That answer changes market by market.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Cannabis regulations change rapidly — verify current requirements with qualified legal counsel before making compliance decisions.
Sources
- Le Green Spot — Plan DGAL CBD 2026: https://www.le-green-spot.com/plan-dgal-cbd-2026/
- Carrément Chanvre — Novel Food CBD : interdiction mai 2026 France: https://www.carrementchanvre.fr/blogs/journal-reglementaire/novel-food-cbd-interdiction-mai-2026-france
- Revue des Tabacs (datos UIVEC): https://revuedestabacs.com/blog/produits-au-cannabidiol-…
- EFSA — Novel Food, septiembre 2026: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/novel-food
- Légifrance — Conseil d’État, ordonnance 10 July 2026: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/ceta/id/CETATEXT000054416762
- Ministerio de Agricultura francés — DGAL mayo 2026: https://agriculture.gouv.fr/node/110883
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