CBD: A parliamentary report calls for a French «hemp wellness» industry»

It is a 102-page tome that aims to shed light on the issue of CBD in France. In recent months, stores specializing in «wellness hemp» have been popping up everywhere, in both large and small towns. The CBD cosmetics are booming. French hemp producers want to produce CBD… But cannabidiol—its scientific name—remains mired in legal uncertainty.

The National Assembly’s fact-finding mission on cannabis is submitting this report to the government today at noon. A law could soon be enacted to regulate this non-psychotropic substance found in cannabis. «And this report is intended to contribute to that effort,», notes Robin Reda, the lawmaker (LR) and chair of the fact-finding mission. France is, in fact, required to authorize CBD. The The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ordered it in November 2020.

But the substance faces a paradox. First, it has properties «soothing and relaxing, plus proven antiepileptic and anticonvulsant effects » and «none of the adverse effects of THC (confusion, anxiety, delirium, hallucinations, impaired memory and concentration).». And despite these positives, «CBD is now the victim" collateral»the general trend toward a primarily security-focused approach to cannabis in our country,", regret expressed by Jean-Baptiste Moreau, the LREM representative for Creuse.

20 proposals for a «French sector»

The lawmakers who authored the report have therefore put forward 20 proposals based on the hearings conducted by the Fact-Finding Mission. The goal is to encourage the emergence of this «emerging sector.». It all starts with the soil and the French hemp fields. Today, the Hemp farmers cannot extract CBD from their plants. They are required to discard the flower, which contains this cannabinoid. And the report calls for « »expressly authorize the cultivation, importation, exportation, and use of all parts of the hemp plant for industrial and commercial purposes, including the flower.".  If this wish comes true, French CBD will be available.

Members of Congress have clearly understood that this is «The word »cannabis’ that scares people”. Here they quote the founder of the company Kanavape, in an interview for Liberation. And when we think of cannabis, we think of THC. Since plants that contain CBD also contain at least a small amount of THC—it’s a natural part of the plant—the authors are calling on the government to «permanently abandon the requirement to maintain a THC threshold of 0.1% in finished products». Instead, they want at least a threshold of 0.21% THC, or even authorization to grow varieties containing «between 0.61% and 11% THC».

It remains to be seen what the government will do with this report. In politics, a report can just as easily be swept under the rug as it can guide the government in its decision-making. The authors recall that in 2018, the Department of Justice issued a memo to prosecutors reminding them that « ’the conditions for the industrial or commercial use of CBD are particularly restrictive».

Note to readers: Aurélien Bernard, founder of Newsweed, was interviewed by the National Assembly as part of the report’s preparation. He participated in that capacity as a partner at the consulting firm Augur Associates.