Why the Lecornu government's finance bill is causing a stir throughout the industry
Since 2021, the CBD market has established itself as one of the few wellness sectors to have created value, jobs, and transparency in France. Thousands of shops, hundreds of producers, and dozens of brands—including Lord Of CBD, a French company based in Paris and Coignières—have invested in building a legal, responsible model that complies with European standards.
However, the 2026 Finance Bill (PLF 2026), championed by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, could well change everything. Under the guise of tax reform, this legislation threatens to profoundly destabilize the French CBD industryby treating it like… tobacco.
An unacceptable confusion for thousands of consumers and professionals.
What is the 2026 Finance Bill?
The 2026 Finance Bill (PLF 2026) is the French government's annual budget proposal. Presented in the fall of 2025, it aims to reduce the public deficit by finding new sources of tax revenue. Among the designated targets: so-called "inhalable" products.
And this is where the problem lies: CBD flowers, resins, and pre-rolls —despite being nicotine-free, tobacco-free, and complying with the legal THC limit of less than 0.3% —could be subject to the same taxation as cigarettes.
In short: the government is considering a specific excise tax on "smokable" CBD products, amounting to 25.7% of the price, plus €18 per kilogram of product sold.
This measure would cause prices to skyrocket and plunge hundreds of shops into the red.
The details are not yet set in stone, but the logic is already there: let's treat CBD flowers like tobacco, and everything will become simpler for the tax authorities.
CBD = Tobacco? A health and legal absurdity
Equating CBD with tobacco makes no sense, neither scientifically nor from a regulatory standpoint.
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CBD is not a drug : the Court of Justice of the European Union reiterated this in 2020.
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CBD does not contain nicotineor any addictive substances.
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CBD has no psychotropic effect : it doesn't get you high, it calms you down.
And yet, the 2026 Finance Bill wants to subject it to the same taxation and distribution as cigarettes.
Why? Because the government is looking for new, easy solutions.
And because it's easier to confuse than to understand.
A measure that would affect an entire ecosystem
If the text were adopted as is, the consequences would be devastating for the industry:
1. CBD prices would skyrocket
Taxing CBD flowers and resins would increase their prices by an average of 25 to 40%.
Small shops and artisanal producers, who often operate on profit margins of 20 to 30%, would be the first to disappear.
Customers, meanwhile, would pay more for the same product – and might even turn to alternative distribution channels in the long run.
2. Online sales under threat
Another critical point of the 2026 Finance Bill is the idea of restricting the sale of taxed products to approved establishments, such as tobacconists.
This would effectively mean the end of online sales of CBD flowers and resins, a channel that is nevertheless essential for thousands of French and European consumers.
Lord Of CBD, for example, delivers throughout Europe for orders over €39. Such a measure would significantly reduce access to safe, tested, and legal products, favoring an ultra-centralized distribution network.
3. A revived black market
The more absurd the rules, the more loopholes will appear.
If the 2026 Finance Bill imposes unjustified taxes and closes the door to legitimate commerce, the black market will regain control .
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imported products without controls
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THC levels not verified
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Total lack of traceability.
In other words: the consumer will be the first to lose out.
4. A blow to the French agricultural sector
Hundreds of farmers are currently cultivating hemp legally, creating a circular, local, and environmentally friendly economy.
The proposed tax could make these crops unprofitable, to the benefit of imports from Eastern Europe or Canada.
This is therefore not just a fiscal issue, but an act of industrial sabotage.
Why this measure is unfair
The government claims it wants to "harmonize" the regulations governing inhalable products. But in reality, this approach equates CBD with tobacco without any health justification.
The objective is not public health, but revenue collection.
Because if health were at the heart of the project, the focus would be on tobacco (responsible for 75,000 deaths per year), not CBD—a molecule recognized for its calming, anti-inflammatory, and anxiolytic effects.
What is at stake here is a regulatory injustice :
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CBD companies comply with the law, test their products, publish their analyses, and sell under control.
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And yet, they are the ones who are punished, while tobacco remains freely available on every street corner.
Lord Of CBD: our position
At Lord Of CBD, we believe in a transparent, responsible, and law-abiding French supply chain.
Our CBD flowers, oils, resins, shisha blends , and organic herbal teas are produced in accordance with European standards, with a THC content of ≤ 0.3%, and laboratory analyses are available for each batch.
We have chosen the path of quality, compliance, and well-being.
The 2026 Finance Bill threatens this balance.
Taxing CBD like tobacco is to deny:
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the difference between a relaxation product and an addiction product,
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the distinction between natural well-being and taxed vice,
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and above all, the collective effort we have made to build a legal market.
We reject this unfair comparison.
And for you, consumers, what would the 2026 Finance Bill change?
If this law passes:
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CBD flowers could become up to 40% more expensive ;
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some items would disappear from the catalogue due to a lack of profitability;
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The online sale of smokable products could be prohibited or restricted;
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tobacconists would become the only authorized retailers;
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Market diversity and transparency would be compromised.
In other words: less choice, less freedom, less trust.
A political debate, but also an ethical one
The French government chooses to treat a wellness sector as a fiscal threat.
Yet, CBD represents the exact opposite:
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a way to reduce tobacco consumption,
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a natural alternative to chemical anxiolytics,
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a booming economic sector (more than 500 million euros in annual turnover in France).
Political leaders should encourage this dynamic, not stifle it.
The risks for French brands
If the 2026 Finance Bill is adopted without amendment:
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Companies like Lord Of CBD, Buddha Farm’s , and Pure Extract CBD will need to rethink their business model.
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Jobs in the sector (production, logistics, marketing) will be threatened .
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and agricultural sovereignty will decline in favor of foreign imports.
This is a counter-current logic : while the rest of Europe regulates and promotes hemp, France is preparing to tax it to the point of suffocation.
What we are asking for
We call for national consultation between public authorities, CBD professionals, and healthcare stakeholders.
The goal: to establish clear, stable regulations adapted to the realities of the market.
CBD deserves better than fiscal confusion.
Professionals are already offering solutions:
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a clear distinction between smokable and non-smokable products,
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an excise duty proportionate to the actual risk (virtually zero for CBD),
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a regulated authorization for online sales,
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support for French producers.
These measures are realistic, balanced, and protective. The only remaining question is whether the government will listen to them.
Mobilization: Let's not allow CBD to become a scapegoat
The 2026 Finance Bill has not yet been passed. Everything could still change.
But silence always benefits those who write the laws.
That's why Lord Of CBD is calling for the mobilization of all stakeholders in the industry and all consumers.
Do you love your flowers, your oils, your herbal teas?
Do you advocate for a natural, responsible, and legal approach to well-being?
Then make your voice heard :
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share the information,
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Contact your elected representatives,
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Support committed French brands.
CBD is not tobacco.
CBD is not a tax loophole.
CBD is a plant, a skill, a culture of well-being that we must preserve.
Our commitment
At Lord Of CBD, we will continue to:
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defend the legitimacy of the sector,
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inform our clients with transparency,
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working hand in hand with French and European producers,
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and to offer safe, traceable and legally compliant products.
France cannot be the only European nation to punish hemp instead of promoting it.
In summary
Sébastien Lecornu's 2026 Finance Bill is not simply a budget law: it is a text that could redefine the fate of CBD in France . Under the guise of tax harmonization, it threatens:
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the economic viability of a legal market,
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the employment of thousands of people,
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Consumer freedom of choice.
Taxing CBD like tobacco is to deny scientific reality, punish virtuous actors, and encourage illegal practices.
The CBD industry deserves a clear framework, not indiscriminate sanctions.
And as long as this battle continues, Lord Of CBD will stand with consumers, farmers, and reason.