Frequently Asked Questions

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a natural, non-intoxicating extract from the hemp plant. Research has found it plays a role in improving sleep quality, moderating stress, easing pain and reducing inflammation. For our modern high-stress society, CBD provides a holistic and natural aid in rebalancing the body and mind. 

CBD is legal in Hong Kong as long as it complies with the regulations set by the government. CBD can be distributed, sold and consumed as a food product if there are no traces of THC, CBN or other regulated cannabinoids. 

CBD and THC are both cannabinoids but they are very different on many levels. CBD is not intoxicating and is legal with the correct licensing. THC and another cannabinoid CBN are illegal in Hong Kong and we do not supply products containing them. 

We take pride in ensuring our products go above and beyond the compliance requirements for Hong Kong, including no detectable levels of THC or CBN, to provide customers with peace of mind.

CBD oil is made from the leaves, flowers and stalks of the hemp plant – the only parts of the plant where cannabidiol is found. Hemp seed oil is made from hemp seeds, meaning there is no CBD content. Hemp seed oil has many health benefits, but it does not contain CBD and does not offer the benefits of this legal cannabinoid.

When you purchase CBD products, it’s important to pay attention to what you are buying as there are some critical differences in legality between full-spectrum, broad-spectrum and isolate based CBD products in Hong Kong.

Full-spectrum products contain small amounts of all parts of the plant, which means they can have trace amounts of THC and other banned cannabinoids. Generally originating from North America and Europe, many full-spectrum products promote themselves as THC-free, but this is based on their local market regulations which tend to be looser than those in Hong Kong.

In addition to trace amounts of THC, these products usually contain CBN, another banned cannabinoid. We have seen a number of full-spectrum products promoted in Hong Kong and strongly suggest you avoid them. Put simply, they are either not full-spectrum or not legal in Hong Kong – they can't be both. 

As the name suggests, isolate CBD contains only CBD and no THC or other cannabinoids. All LIFE products are made using CBD isolate. 

Broad-spectrum CBD sits in the middle; it does not contain THC, but it contains other parts of the plant so it is not just CBD (may contain CBN).

CBD laws vary from country to country, so be sure to check the local laws in your destination before taking products with you. 

Because our products are made using CBD isolate rather than full-spectrum CBD, you don’t need to worry about any trace amounts of THC turning up in an employment drug test. 

While we aren’t aware of any organisations that screen specifically for CBD, it is best to seek clarification from your employer if you are unsure of their stance.

In 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from its prohibited substances list, which means that professional athletes can now take it without worrying about the legal implications.

CBD is understood to have a good safety profile on its own and numerous studies are underway to investigate whether it interacts negatively with any over-the-counter or prescription medications. 

One contraindication we are aware of relates to the use of CBD with blood pressure medication. CBD helps lower blood pressure, so if you take CBD and blood pressure medication at the same time, it can result in blood pressure dropping lower than intended. Please consult with your doctor if you are taking blood pressure medication and wish to add CBD to your routine.

There is not enough definitive evidence regarding whether CBD is safe to take while pregnant or breastfeeding, so it is best to avoid it. There could be some instances where the benefits outweigh the risks, so if it is very important to you, we recommend discussing it with your doctor. 

Research has shown that CBD has anti-inflammatory and muscle-relaxing effects which could help relieve some symptoms depending on what your illness is. That said, there isn’t any clinical research assessing the use of CBD with a cough, cold or flu, so it’s best to speak with your doctor if you’re unsure. 

The main difference between our CBD inputs is in the type of products they work best with. Our water-soluble range is best for water-based food and drinks, whereas our CBD isolate powder is great for oil-based products. 

Find out more about our products. 

The first way we ensure our products are legal is by using CBD isolate. As the name suggests, CBD isolate contains only CBD and no THC or other cannabinoids. Some products in the market claim to be made from full-spectrum CBD. This indicates they contain small amounts of all parts of the plant, which means they can have trace amounts of THC. This is not legal under current Hong Kong law. 

The second safeguard we put in place is that every batch we produce is tested by a third-party laboratory to confirm exactly what is and isn’t present in our products. Certificates of Analysis, also known as COAs, are available online and we can also provide batch specific results upon request. 

Lastly, we have obtained a comprehensive legal opinion from the Hong Kong office of a global law firm to confirm the legality of our products. A copy of this can be shared with business customers upon formal engagement.

CBD products are best stored in a cool dry environment away from sunlight. Our packaging is opaque and shipped in insulated containers for this reason.

When stored under standard food storage conditions, no special precautions are required. If possible, we recommend storage in a temperature-controlled area to avoid large temperature swings. 

Liquid LIFE™ is normally a beige or brown colour that once added into a liquid transforms into a hazy white. This colour is normal and does not affect product safety or performance. If you have any questions about your product, please contact us to discuss.

From bigger margins to happier customers, adding LIFE delivers value to our partners in a variety of ways: 

• Attract new customers 
• Boost your bottom line
• Build brand affinity 
• Stand out from your competitors
• Support a healthier, happier customer

For businesses, CBD has proven to be a major RSP (recommended selling price) booster. Comparing CBD vs non-CBD consumer products in North America (where CBD is widely popular in café, bar, restaurant and consumer products), business operators have demonstrated incremental increases in RSP between 2.5x and 6.68x. This brings significant potential gross profit margin growth for business operators.

Simply put, we do the heavy lifting so that you can focus on what you do best. From importation, compliance and industry best practices, we’ll support you on your cannabinoid journey.

We want to enable businesses of all sizes access to quality, compliant and cost-effective cannabinoids. So whether you’re manufacturing beverages, skincare or a neighbourhood cafe, you can count on LIFE’s range of industry-leading products.

We’ve been working with CBD in Hong Kong for a while. In that time, we’ve worked with experts here and in North America to develop and implement a strict set of quality requirements to deliver the best performing products that comply with local regulations.

Our commitment to ensuring quality has seen our operations team visit suppliers in North America to personally cross-check manufacturing practices. Our partners are GMP and ISO certified in their markets and we work closely with select third-party laboratories to ensure our products are compliant on a batch by batch basis.

What makes LIFE stand out is in our range of inputs. With CBD interest exploding in Hong Kong, a growing number of business operators are looking to infuse their products. But, they’re not always working with a partner who can provide the right CBD input for their specific product or service. We sometimes see cafes trying to mix CBD oil into coffee and tea (which is literally mixing oil and water), instead of using CBD in a water-soluble liquid or powder form.

We’ve worked to create a portfolio of cannabinoid inputs that are suitable for a range of products. Whether you need CBD isolates for baked goods or skincare, or water-soluble products for on-trade use or RTD beverages – we have a range of formulations, concentrations and cannabinoid profiles to enable your business to stand out.

Yes! We work with our partners to understand their needs and manufacturing processes to provide them with the most accessible product possible. 

We make working with CBD easy:

1. Choose the LIFE format best suited to your product
2. Add to your product during manufacturing or on-trade
3. Market, serve and watch your customers smile 

We exist to help businesses of all sizes access cannabinoids in a safe and rewarding way. 

Unlike suppliers from North America or Europe, we provide businesses access to cannabinoids in Hong Kong with low MOQs and without the need for complicated import procedures. We’ve also created a tiered pricing structure to enable businesses to scale with us as they experiment and implement CBD.

We support our business partners in the following ways to ensure you and your team are fully equipped to embark on the CBD journey:

• Staff education on the CBD category in general as well as our product suite and its benefits
• Activation and merchandising tailored to your specific business needs
• Social content amplification
• Co-branding 
• POSM support
• Industry best practices; serving sizes, integration methods, implementation inspiration. 
• Exclusive CBD product co-creation projects specific to your product category

The way that you add LIFE to your products will depend on what type of products you offer, how you produce them and which LIFE input you are using. For example, Liquid LIFE^™ and Solid LIFE^™ can be added to beverages either individually or in larger batches. Pure LIFE^™ can be dissolved into oil-based products, directly ingested or blended with other health supplements. 

We will work with you to determine the best LIFE format for your product.

Although there's no legal limit in Hong Kong to how much CBD you can add to your product, we recommend from a safety (and revenue) perspective that you don’t add excessive amounts.

As a general guide, we suggest 0.5mg of CBD per kg in weight (so a 60kg person would have
30mg of CBD) as needed up to a maximum of six times daily.

That said, everyone reacts to CBD differently, so you should encourage your customers to start low and slow until they find their sweet spot. 

CBD needs to be listed as an ingredient if it is sold already incorporated into the product (for example in a fruit juice bottle), under the appropriate food labelling laws of Hong Kong.