Estonia to reduce THC in hemp to 0.3%

The Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs is currently drafting a regulatory amendment that will allow hemp varieties with a higher tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Currently, Estonian farmers are only allowed to grow hemp varieties with a THC content of less than 0.2%. Early next year at the latest, this limit will rise to around 0.3 %.

Ago Siiner, CEO of Perfect Plant, a long-standing importer of hemp seeds, pointed out that, under local conditions, only two currently authorized hemp varieties are worth growing in Estonia.

«But this change would make three to five other varieties available that we could grow for seed,» said Siiner.

Regulations was amended at European level at the end of last year, This was the case when a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe was implemented, finally allowing the payment of aid for the cultivation of Cannabis varieties with a slightly higher THC content.

According to Reno Paju, an official at the Ministry of Rural Affairs, this could help European farmers compared with farmers in other countries.

«In many other countries around the world, the limit is 0.3-1 percent,» explained Paju. The EU is catching up with the rest of the world on this requirement.«.

Some 6,800 hectares of industrial hemp are currently grown in Estonia.

Reno Paju said he didn't think the change would have much effect on Estonian farmers, and he believes Finola will remain the most popular variety grown here.

Instead, many local growers expect the change to be impacted by Estica, a new Estonian hemp variety registered this spring, which also has a significantly lower THC content than its Finnish cousin (0.03%).

Reno Paju pointed out that relaxing the rules will also prevent hemp growers whose crops have just exceeded the permitted THC content from being excluded from agricultural subsidies. In Estonia, there have only been a few such cases, dating from 2017 and 2018, but this happens more frequently in southern Europe, where hemp cultivation is more popular and growing conditions favor THC production.