In the cold light of day the legal status of selling and purchasing cannabis seeds in the UK is simple in theory – however as with anything that relates to cannabis, it’s a little bit more ambiguous when it comes to the actual practice.
It can be a controversial subject in general in respect to its legality and how people use it, so it’s incredibly important for people who buy or sell cannabis to be familiar with the UK laws. This is essential with the seeds in particular to avoid any persecution or interference from law enforcement.
Current UK Law on UK Cannabis Seeds
To a lot of people’s surprise – cannabis seeds are actually legal to have, buy, sell and trade in the UK. It is even legal to purchase seeds over the counter in some leading UK shops – and you can actually post to and from to a UK address if you like.
There is a very big BUT however which can sometimes be where the grey area lies in peoples head. It is not legal to germinate seeds, or to grow marijuana or to use cannabis.
If it is proven that cannabis seeds have been used with the intent to sell marijuana – heavy penalties could be incurred. In practice, it doesn’t always work out like that. Although there are marijuana seeds for sale in leading shops such as Discount Cannabis Seeds in the UK , there are instances where people aren’t using them as they should be.
This could be in part due to the lack of concern about this particular law (which doesn’t make it any less enforceable).
Precautions you should take if Purchasing and Possessing Cannabis Seeds
As mentioned: using, possessing, growing and selling marijuana is illegal in the UK – however people could still purchase cannabis seeds for legitimate reasons. Some people choose to do this as interesting collectors’ items, bird food, fish bait and for other general interest purposes.
Does this then make it difficult for law enforcement to know whether or not you are planning to use the seeds to grow marijuana – or if you are using them for a perfectly acceptable reason such as fishing? In short, yes. As with everything, there is an element of subjectivity that can come with the law enforcement of possession of cannabis seeds.
If you do happen to get caught with cannabis seeds as well as marijuana plants or marijuana itself – it could definitely be viewed with suspicion that you could have them with the intent of cultivating them to sell on. Any penalties for this would be far worse and it would of course depend on the individual circumstances.
Precautions you should take if you are Selling Cannabis Seeds
If you do plan on selling cannabis seeds, it’s really important that you emphasise to any prospective customers that the germination of the seed or the growing of marijuana is not legal in the UK to make sure you are covered.
You should also make it clear that the seeds are only meant to be used for purposes that do not relate to the growing of marijuana in any way. You could even make sure that there is a disclaimer visible stating that they are not approved by the government for consumption.
In order to make it super clear, you may even want to let customers know that if they have any queries relating to the germination or cultivation of cannabis seeds – then they won’t be sold to them. If someone did approach with a query like that, it would be fairly obvious what their intent would be, so it’s always better to be on the safe side.
Your Main Takeaway
Although the law may seem a little murky and confusing when it comes to the purchasing and sale of cannabis seeds – it is actually quite clear cut in most respects. The liability of purchasing or selling cannabis seeds in the United Kingdom depends on what the intent is whether you are the seller or the purchaser.
If it is made fairly obvious that the purchase of these seeds is to grow marijuana – you should then be prepared for law enforcement to target you. However, if it is clear that you are actually just purchasing them for a legitimate reason, then the likelihood of you being prosecuted is much less.
When selling cannabis seeds, as long as you are sending the message that these are intended to be purchased by consumers for purely legal and legitimate reasons, then you shouldn’t find yourself with any issues.
Hopefully this guide has given you a little bit of insight regarding the overall UK law.
