Vietnam has not formally legalized or approved CBD as a food supplement, cosmetic ingredient, or medicine. The Ministry of Health has not issued specific CBD regulations. Products circulating in the market do so in a legal grey zone that can change without notice. We do not recommend purchasing or carrying CBD products in Vietnam.
CBD in Vietnam: What We Know
Vietnam’s cannabis law classifies all cannabis-derived substances under the Group I narcotics framework. Unlike Malaysia (which explicitly legalized 0% THC CBD in 2022) or Thailand (which removed cannabis from narcotics schedules), Vietnam has made no specific carve-out for CBD. A small number of imported CBD products circulate in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi wellness markets, but their legality is ambiguous and enforcement has been inconsistent.
International CBD brands do not have formal approval for distribution in Vietnam. Customs authorities can seize CBD products at ports of entry. Individual enforcement officers have discretion in how they classify CBD products, creating unpredictable outcomes for travellers carrying CBD across the Vietnamese border. The safest approach is to leave all CBD products at home before visiting Vietnam and to not purchase any cannabis-derived product during your stay, regardless of how it is labelled or marketed.
The Growing Interest in CBD in Vietnam
Vietnamese consumers and the wellness industry are increasingly aware of CBD, driven by international media, the large Vietnamese diaspora community with experience of Western CBD markets, and the success of CBD legalization in neighbouring Malaysia and Thailand. There is genuine policy momentum within Vietnam toward addressing CBD separately from THC cannabis, but as of 2024 no formal change has been implemented. Visitors should monitor developments through official Ministry of Health communications rather than social media or tour operator advice.