In a press release published online, the French Association of Cannabinoid Producers (AFPC) announces that it has called on the government to “improve the limit rate of THC for the cultivation of active hemp”.
The PSAC has thus transmitted an official request to the Ministers of Agriculture, Health and Public Accounts, requesting that the Government revise upwards the current limit of 0.3% of THC which applies to the cultivation of hemp.
This request is motivated, in the words of the PSAC, by the agronomic, technical and economic inconsistency that the current limit of 0.3% THC imposes on professionals in the sector.
This rate, imposed by European regulations, would thus not take into account the agronomic reality of hemp and the climatic particularities of the various European States. As the increase in cannabinoid levels in the plant is strongly correlated with climatic variations and environmental stresses, staying below the current limit is becoming more and more difficult for farmers faced with increasingly hot summers, which can naturally increase , the THC level in the plant. Such a rate also deprives farmers of access to seed varieties dedicated to the cultivation of active hemp, but exceeding 0.3% THC.
Similarly, from an economic point of view, the current limit imposes on French producers to be in a situation of unequal competition, faced with products from other European States which have already opted for a limit of 1% THC (Switzerland , Czech Republic, Bulgaria) or 0.6% (Italy).
As a result, the PSAC has officially asked the Government, for agronomic and economic reasons, to raise the THC level for active hemp to 1%.
This measure would allow the hemp sector with French active ingredients to compete on a level playing field with foreign competition and to develop to its full potential, according to the PSAC press release.
