THC limit could increase to 0.3% in Europe

0.3% THC in Europe in 2021.

Farmers would benefit from this, undoubtedly. But given the current situation, those looking to capitalize on the booming global CBD market are probably the most enthusiastic as we write these lines.

Guy Coxall is chairman of HempTank and compliance director of the Cannabis Trades Association. He provides an unequivocal analysis.

“EU varieties have traditionally been bred for stalk and seed, not for CBD, and most are monoecious – both sexes on the same plant – thus producing flowers and seeds; with a lot of energy going into producing seeds instead of cannabinoids,” he states. “However, the 0.3% increase offers the opportunity to select dioecious or female plants with much higher CBD levels. And that will be good news for the farmer, because the more cannabinoids, especially CBD, the greater the value of their crop,” Coxall continues.

It's worth remembering that hemp with a 0.3% THC ratio typically produces CBD levels of up to 15%. EU hemp at 0.2% THC, however, rarely exceeds 3% CBD levels.

In April of this year, the European Parliament approved a series of amendments to the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. It foresees that THC limits will increase from 0.2% to 0.3%. The proposed change could come into force in 2021.

To date, there are 68 hemp varieties on the European Union list. All have been selected for their low THC content and their characteristics (strong stalks – for fibers, and abundant seeds – for food).

Treat hemp like any other agricultural crop.

The timing of this EU decision leaves nothing to chance. It follows a decision by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year that all CBD products containing less than 0.2% THC should be removed from any list of medicines.

The United Nations is also expected to ratify this recommendation in November of this year, according to Guy Coxall: "The HempTank policy team is currently developing white papers and a lobbying strategy to encourage the Home Office to adopt WHO guidelines and support the UK agricultural community post-Brexit."

He continues: "Currently, the US is selecting hemp cultivars that can reach 15% CBD, but they have no interest in registering them in the EU common catalogue due to costs and bureaucracy. The increase to 0.3% THC will encourage European breeders to do the same, but this will take time. The Home Office is supposed to protect this land; the best thing they could do for our farming community and our economic prospects would be to treat hemp the same way as any other agricultural crop." These are remarks full of common sense.