Members Of European Parliament Push For Hemp Legal Framework
Hemp policies and regulations in Europe have historically been a patchwork of sorts, and that patchwork has resulted in a considerable amount of confusion and conflict. Arguably, the most noteworthy example of that can be found in Italy, where domestic lawmakers have adopted hemp policies that directly conflict with European Union policies.
Last month, lawmakers in Italy passed a ‘security decree’ measure that bans all processing, distribution, trade, and transport of ‘cultivated hemp inflorescences.’ Italy’s cannabis light sector currently employs an estimated 22,000 people.
The lack of harmonized continental hemp rules and regulations has created a lot of headaches for Europe’s industry members, including Europe’s farmers who want to cultivate a crop that is experiencing increased demand in Europe and around the world. A group of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) is pushing for a legal framework to provide farmers with more certainty.
“Agriculture-focused MEPs are throwing their weight behind a push to secure EU rules on the cultivation of non-intoxicating cannabis – a move aimed at bypassing national restrictions on the taboo crop.” reported Euractiv in its original coverage.
“The European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee (AGRI) backed the move in its position on the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), adopted on Monday. Even though the demand on the European Commission isn’t binding, the text urges the executive to set an EU-wide classification for industrial hemp limiting tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive component in cannabis – to a maximum of 0.5%.” the outlet also reported.
Maximum THC thresholds for hemp production vary around the globe, ranging from .2% THC to 2%. Exceeding a THC threshold for hemp harvests can result in farmers losing entire crops, which is obviously not optimal.
A better regulatory concept that was proposed by leading hemp expert Morris Beagle, President of We Are For Better Alternatives, during a panel discussion at the recent International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin is to enforce a THC limit at the product level.
Rather than place the burden of meeting a THC limit on farmers, which is not an easy standard to meet given all of the variables involved, the burden to meet a THC threshold limit would instead be placed on product makers, which is considerably easier for them to do comparatively.
The push by members of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee may not be binding, but it is still a welcome endorsement for an industry that is trying to strike the right balance between addressing reasonable concerns and being able to operate in an environment that isn’t constantly shifting.