European Parliament Agrees To Raise THC In Hemp – Equivalent Of US Farm Bill

The European Parliament has agreed to raise the THC limits in hemp to .03%, bringing the EU into line with the US. Will this mean a growing new international hemp trade between the US and Europe?

Late last week, the European Parliament agreed on a new Common Agricultural Policy for the region, which goes into effect on January 1st, 2023. Namely hemp grown in EU countries can have a THC content of up to 0.3%. This is up from the current limit of 0.2% (at least at the EU level). National regulations within the region are already all over the place. 

This change has been bubbling for some time. However now that it has been formally adopted into something so fundamental as regional agricultural policy, there is little chance of the tide turning back on CBD. Namely as has also been widely feared that CBD would again be ruled a narcotic and at a regional level. With this announcement, there is little chance of that happening.

Implications

This is a very important moment for the hemp industry across Europe – and will invigorate the industry much like the passage of the federal hemp bill in the United States in 2018. What this means is that there is a regional minimum standard. Obviously, sovereign laws take precedence. However, what this does is set a bar that latecomers to the discussion will essentially have at least considered as a reference guide as they wrestle with full and final cannabis reform.

A Magic Cure-all?

While highly significant, this is not, however, the end of the hemp industry’s problems in Europe. Chief among those, starting in Germany, is the remaining inclusion of even CBD in national narcotics acts. For this reason, while a very big step that the hemp lobby, for one, is rightly celebrating, it is still not one that entirely overcomes the many issues even this part of the industry is still facing.

Indeed, the only real way to normalize the CBD discussion is to reconnect it, once again, to the THC one as multiple countries in Europe now wrestle with full and final legalization, even if only of the home grow kind.

However, luckily for everyone in every part of the industry, that is now a conversation that is fully underway.

Be sure to stay tuned to the International Cannabis Business Conference blog for the latest cannabis reform developments in Europe.