AFPC calls for THC levels in hemp to be raised to 1% in France

In a press release published online, the French Association of Cannabinoid Producers (AFPC) announced that it had called on the government to «raise the THC limit for the cultivation of industrial hemp.».

The PSAC has therefore submitted an official request to the Ministers of Agriculture, Health, and Public Accounts, asking the government to increase the current limit of 0.3% of THC that applies to hemp cultivation.

According to the PSAC, this request is motivated by the agronomic, technical, and economic inconsistencies that the current 0.3 % THC limit imposes on professionals in the sector.

This limit, imposed by European regulations, would thus fail to take into account the agronomic realities of hemp cultivation and the specific climatic conditions of the various European countries. Since increases in cannabinoid levels in the plant are strongly correlated with climatic variations and environmental stress, staying below the current limit is becoming increasingly difficult for farmers facing hotter and hotter summers, which can naturally cause the THC content in the plant. Furthermore, such a limit prevents farmers from accessing seed varieties intended for the cultivation of industrial hemp that contain active ingredients but exceed the 0.3 % THC threshold.

Similarly, from an economic standpoint, the current limit places French producers at an competitive disadvantage compared to products from other European countries that have already opted for a THC limit of 1 % (Switzerland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria) or 0.6 % (Italy).

Consequently, the PSAC has officially requested that the government—for agronomic and economic reasons—raise the THC limit for medicinal hemp to 1%.

This measure would allow the French hemp-based active ingredients industry to compete on equal footing with foreign competitors and grow to its full potential, according to the AFPC press release.