Press
The Federal Minister of Agriculture wants to promote the cultivation of industrial hemp. To achieve this, the THC limit is to be raised and the “intoxication clause” is to be deleted.
Berlin – The Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir (Greens), wants to remove the so-called “intoxication clause” from the Cannabis Act (CanG) for industrial hemp. He announced this at the Parliamentary Evening of the Cannabis Industry in mid-May. The German special rule has so far meant that even very low levels of THC in industrial hemp could lead to criminal prosecution, raids and company closures.
Great opportunity for a climate-neutral future: industrial hemp is a good alternative to plastic and steel
“Industrial hemp” could play an important role in the climate-neutral future. It can be used in the automotive industry or in construction. The problem so far: In many respects it is subject to climate-Hemp but the same regulations as regular cannabis. Especially the bureaucratic hurdles have so far hindered the use and further processing of industrial hemp in Germany. Özdemir wants to change that now.
Özdemir sees hemp as a resilient and renewable raw material and a climate-friendly alternative to plastic and steel. In his speech, he spoke of the “long overdue” abolition of the intoxication clause, which should pave the way for indoor cultivation. The previous reluctance to deal with the topic is – according to Özdemir – “almost as if one were to give bakeries or the entire baking trade a wide berth just because they sell poppy seed cake.”
Jürgen Neumeyer, managing director of the cannabis industry association, adds: “Imagine if dealers and producers of non-alcoholic beer were raided and punished because they could distill liquor from the residual alcohol. In practice, such a complex extraction does not take place even with industrial hemp. This senseless intoxication clause has increasingly led to economic damage and bankruptcies in recent years.”
Step by step: Raising the THC limit should be done slowly
The Green politician asserts that the first measures to reduce bureaucracy have already been taken in the regulations on flowering notifications and seed labels. In the future, there will also be discussions about increasing the THC limit for the cultivation and trafficking of industrial hemp. The changes should be made “step by step”.
![cannabis](https://www.merkur.de/assets/images/34/618/34618581-cannabis-R1BG.jpg)
The federal government has also already introduced subsequent changes to the controversial law, reports German press agency. In the first reading in mid-May, improvements to improve road safety were discussed as well as concessions to the federal states, with which Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had secured their approval in the Federal Council. The improvements include, among other things, a new limit for drivers, a ban on driving while drinking cannabis while consuming cannabis and additional regulations for the new cultivation associations in order to prevent the creation of large plantations.
Federal states skeptical: government grants greater scope for action
It was only in February that the Bundestag passed the law for partial cannabis legalization. Several federal states in the Federal Council subsequently expressed skepticism and threatened to appeal to the mediation committee, which would have significantly delayed the project. The states should therefore now be given greater scope for action, for example when it comes to checking the cultivation associations, which will be allowed to grow the drug jointly from July 1st and distribute it to members. Possible changes to the draft law will now be discussed in the relevant committees of the Bundestag before the MPs vote on them. (bg/dpa)
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