Europe Aligns With U.S. On Industrial Hemp THC Requirements

Europe’s history and experience with the industrial hemp plant far exceeds that of present-day American farmers and the U.S. hemp industry. Europe has long cultivated hemp for a variety of commonly known industrial uses, such as animal feed, woven textiles fiber, and hurd uses for building materials.

Further, industrial hemp has been legal in Europe prior to and since the days of U.S. prohibition of the plant beginning in the 1930s. Today, an interesting dynamic presents itself.

The 2014 Farm Bill in the United States allowed American technological innovators to consider extracting a variety of cannabinoids. In turn, this quickly brought an array of products to market, fueled by a robust new economy surrounding non-psychoactive cannabinoids. The most prominent one being, of course, CBD.

It’s nearly 2021 and the American marketplace is moving toward more versatile and well-rounded uses of the industrial hemp plant, mirroring what the European Union has implemented for decades. This past month, two very important developments occurred on the Continent. First, the European Parliament raised the requisite THC percentage in the plant material from 0.2 to 0.3 percent, bringing it in line with American policy. This proposal has long been advocated by the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA).

Second, the European Union court of justice made a decision that indicated they will not treat CBD as a narcotic drug. Therefore, CBD cannot be prohibited if it’s legal in member states. Until now, both of these variables have hampered the development of the European industrial hemp industry despite its long-standing presence and experience with the plant. [Read More @ Forbes]