Lidl is now selling cannabis products in Europe

Smoke a lidl, save a lot

German supermarket Lidl has taken advantage of a change in laws to sell a "relaxing" tobacco alternative. Launching a new range of locally grown cannabis for customers in Switzerland, the retailer is selling a 1.5g box for 18 Swiss francs (€15.05). Billed as a tobacco alternative, the "CBD packs" are made from hemp plants grown indoors. A 3g box costing 19.99 Swiss francs is derived from flowers grown in greenhouses. The new product line, made by The Botanicals, is not designed to deliver a strong high. CBD has been medically proven to be an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, as well as having therapeutic properties like reducing anxiety. Per cigarette, the cost is roughly double that of tobacco roll-ups. Switzerland permits the sale of cannabis to over-18s so long as it contains no more than 1 per cent of the psychoactive substance THC - the chemical responsible for getting you stoned.

In a statement, Lidl said: "The manufacturer relies on sustainable agriculture and refrains entirely from adding chemical, synthetic or genetically modified substances. "The legally cultivable varieties contain only very small amounts of THC and a high proportion of CBD."

CBD products are also available in the UK. Several retailers sell CBD oils that can be ingested orally or vaped.