HempCyberFarm Answer 15

Answer 15 THC Restrictions

15. Restrictions placed on THC content of Hemp where it is currently legal to grow:

Robert Lunday in his e-mail to me says: “I think this question is important, because if states begin to legalize industrial hemp, they will most likely try to determine an appropriate THC content. For example, the Washington State Hemp Initiative will classify Industrial Hemp as hemp containing less that 1.0% THC content. This seems to be consistent with Canada and slightly less than the 1.4% Colorado was going to do last year. I think this is significant because I doubt much research has been done on the strength of each crop. I mean if one seed strain that has a 1.3% THC content produces a much larger yield than another with a 0.9% THC content, it would be unfortunate for the state farmers that the (abitrary?) 1.0%THC content was selected.

I've heard the European Union has a 0.3 % THC restriction, but that is not for what's legal, but rather what qualifies for subsidy.”

I think that Robert brings up a very valid point: How is the maximum allowable THC content for Hemp determined? I guess this can be subject to heavy debate right here! Who can, and who wants to comment on this?

I would like to make a statement about this, now that I have read a fair amount of data on the subject of growing Hemp, the different Hemp-seeds available and their crossing and breeding methods. I have not yet seen a relation between yield and THC content of the Hemp plant. Thus, I do not think that this will ever be an issue. It is entirely up to the farmer to grow high-THC or low-THC crops. I think the European Union (EU) has chosen the THC content of 0.3% from a pragmatic point of view:

#1 This percentage is chosen because it rules out any possibility to efficiently or economically extract the psychoactive component from the plant.
#2 This percentage leaves some play in the THC content that various strains or cultivars may or may not possess. Thus, it is still possible to cultivate this plant since all Hemp crops invariably contain some percentage THC.

A 100% THC-free cultivar was developed for the 1997 season. It is the French cultivar “Santhica.”

The THC-free Hemp-seed list at this site is one composed of Hemp varieties containing around 0.03% THC. Here an analogy with alcohol free beer comes to mind: Alcohol-free beer contains an amount of alcohol however miniscule but as long as it is not over a certain limit as established by law, it can be called or labeled alcohol-free. It is possible to eliminate all the alcohol or THC but it is not economically viable to do so.

To my knowledge there are no THC restrictions or limits set on growing Hemp in the following countries: Switzerland and Finland.

Please also see No-THC-Hemp!

Do you know more about this? E-mail us at Matthew@HempWorld.com

*Industrial-Hemp has no psychoactive properties following definition of the European Economic Community (EEC); THC content is less than 0.3%. In general, low THC-seed varieties without psychoactive properties are those that have a THC content of less than 1%. (See also No-THC Hemp-seed.) THC= Delta-9 TetraHydroCannabinol.