EU Raises Maximum THC Limit in Industrial Hemp
The European Union Parliament has voted to increase the maximum allowed concentration of THC in industrial hemp from 0.2% to 0.3%. Lawmakers also approved new regulations for the circulation of cannabis products.
Farmers Support Higher THC Limit
Western European countries first set a THC limit of 0.5% in industrial hemp in 1984. Fifteen years later, the allowable threshold was reduced to 0.2% to prevent the cultivation of hemp with high THC content. However, the leadership of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) proposed raising the limit to 0.3%. According to experts, increasing the permitted THC concentration will not lead to a rise in the cultivation of drug-type cannabis varieties.
EIHA representatives stated that the current restriction hinders the development of the hemp industry because high-yield hemp strains grown for CBD production often exceed the 0.2% THC limit. As a result, European farmers lose out on income compared to their foreign counterparts. Lawmakers agreed with the experts and decided to raise the limit to 0.3%.
In Russia, it is only permitted to cultivate hemp varieties with a THC concentration not exceeding 0.1%. However, CBD is not extracted from Russian hemp, as the cannabinoid is classified as a controlled substance.
New EU Regulations for Industrial Cannabis
EU lawmakers have adopted a regulatory act controlling the sale of industrial cannabis, under which the circulation of cannabis products will be regulated according to market standards. All businesses operating in the cannabis industry will be required to meet the same requirements as other agricultural producers. In particular, the rules will regulate the production process of cannabis products, cannabinoid extraction methods, and product labeling. EIHA President Daniel Kruse claims that the reform of cannabis legislation will promote progress in the cannabis market.
France Leads the EU in Hemp Cultivation Area
According to EIHA, in 2019, more than half of the EU’s industrial hemp was grown in three countries: France, Italy, and the Netherlands. The top five EU member states by area of hemp farmland were:
- France (17,900 hectares)
- Italy (4,000 hectares)
- Netherlands (3,833 hectares)
- Estonia (3,538 hectares)
- Romania (3,400 hectares)
Chinese farmers harvested industrial hemp from 66,700 hectares, making China the world leader in this metric. The United States ranked second: American farmers planted hemp on 93,000 hectares but harvested only 50,000 hectares. In 2019, the area of hemp fields in Russia increased by 29% compared to 2018, reaching 10,200 hectares, with crops harvested from 8,978 hectares.