Cannabis plants are not just about smoking weed: approved varieties are also interesting as raw materials. The hurdles for this are now to be removed.
The cultivation of hemp for commercial use, for example for textiles, food or cosmetics, should become more attractive for farmers. Industrial hemp has significant growth potential in Germany, said a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture when asked. According to the department’s legislative plans, cultivation options should therefore be expanded and more legal certainty created. The aim is to implement this by the beginning of 2025, i.e. before the next sowing season.
Specifically, cultivation in greenhouses is to be permitted as a new field of activity, as can be seen from a draft bill. A clause is to be deleted that states that industrial hemp must not be abused for narcotic purposes – this is still the case in the law on the partial legalization of cannabis, which has been in force since April. As a result, growers and dealers are still faced with the risk of criminal prosecution, explained the spokesman.
The German Farmers’ Association called for significant simplifications. “Industrial hemp has an extremely wide range of uses, has many agricultural advantages and would also be beneficial for biodiversity,” said Secretary General Bernhard Krüsken to the German Press Agency. However, cultivation is associated with permits and controls that take up a lot of time. “All of this puts many farmers off.” According to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food, the area under cultivation fell last year for the first time in a long time – to 5,800 hectares.
Source: Stern
