United States: Proposal for hemp with 1% THC

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), which groups the agricultural departments of every U.S. state, is asking that the legal limit of THC in hemp increases from 0.3% to 1%.

This initiative joins the mobilization that already exists on the subject, spurred in particular by the Hemp Industries Association who called for the necessary change to encourage participation in the hemp sector.

«The 1% threshold will give growers across the country, particularly those growing hemp for CBD, greater flexibility with variety selection and maximization of CBD percentages without a crop [exceeding THC limits],» a declared Rob Richard, President of Wisconsin Hemp Alliance.

The USDA insisted that it could not raise the THC limit on its own.

NASDA's policy statement does not take a position on whether the Controlled Substances Act should be amended in Congress.

RJ Karney, NASDA's senior director of public policy, said the group was simply seeking to promote greater leeway for hemp growers.

«This is still an up-and-coming industry that can benefit from greater flexibility to thrive,» he said in an e-mail.

«By expanding the federal definition to less than or equal to 1% of THC in dry matter hemp, we can give farmers more certainty that their crops will be able to be marketed.»

In Europe, the legal level of THC in hemp is set at 0.2% and Negotiations are underway to move to 0.3%. Italy authorizes 0.6% of THC in the field, and Switzerland 1%.