Albania has opened a wider berth for industrial hemp, setting the THC limit at 0.8% for crops in the field but placing CBD under highly restrictive rules that allow only exports.
The Albanian Parliament recently voted 69-23 to pass a cannabis bill that embraces both hemp and medical marijuana. All marijuana and hemp extracts – including CBD and other minor cannabinoids derived from hemp – are considered medical cannabis products under the Albanian law, and may only be produced for outside markets.
The new law calls for the establishment of a National Cannabis Control Agency (NCCA), which will be responsible for implementing the law and oversight of both sectors. The Agency, under the authority of the health minister, will set rules, carry out inspections of cannabis fields, and monitor processing and production.
The law places no limits on the volume of hemp which can be grown for grain and fiber, and will allow for the creation of a domestic market for those outputs, according to Joe Spencer, Chairman of the National Albanian Hemp Industry Association.
“We believe that Albania’s new industrial hemp regulations will provide a sustainable economic future for agriculture-dependent rural communities,” Spencer said. “Development of the hemp grain and fiber industry will not only increase agriculture employment but also employment within the manufacturing industries.”
The hemp production chain will be under a mandatory track-and-trace scheme, Spencer said.
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https://hemptoday.net/albania-sets-thc-limit-for-hemp-at-0-8-but-cbd-is-ruled-medical-cannabis/
Sean Hocking
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