Starting in December, new legal regulations governing the sale of substances such as kratom and low-THC cannabis will take effect. These amendments to the Narcotic Substances Act were signed by President Petr Pavel, as announced by the Communications Department of the President’s Office on its website.
The revised law classifies substances by their risk potential and imposes stricter conditions for their sale. In the future, psychomodulatory substances may only be sold to adults and only in specialized shops that are inaccessible to children. It is also prohibited to offer these products in forms resembling toys or sweets. Additionally, sales via vending machines will be banned. Strict conditions will apply to online sales, including mandatory age verification for both purchase and delivery.
After months of delay, the Senate approved this amendment at the beginning of October, following a green light from the European Commission. The EU confirmed that the export bans and restrictions comply with internal market regulations.
Going forward, distributors and sellers of psychomodulatory substances must obtain a license, issued by the Ministry of Health as part of the law’s amendment. The administrative fee for applying for a trading license is set at CZK 200,000. This fee applies to each e-shop, and traders must pay an additional CZK 20,000 per operating location for the license.
