鈥淭he global consensus is clear. It is now time to remove hemp from the list of controlled substances around the world, for the benefit of health-conscious consumers, farmers and economic development and trade,鈥� said Keith Jones, President of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA).
鈥淲e are proud of the work our organization, our partners and what our Executive Director Ted Haney have done to get the major hemp producers pulling together for our shared industry,鈥� Jones added.
The Common Position of the Industrial Hemp Sector on the Single Convention and the International Drug Control System was jointly issued by the following hemp associations: Asia-Pacific CBD Union; Australian Hemp Council; British Hemp Alliance; Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance; European Industrial Hemp Alliance; Hokkaido Hemp Association; Hemp Industries Association; Latin American Industrial Hemp Alliance; Mongolian Hemp Association; National Hemp Alliance and the New Zealand Hemp Industries Association.
Special recognition goes to the European Industrial Hemp Alliance for their leadership on this project.
鈥淥ne of the major roadblocks to growth in the hemp industry is that countries around the world regulate hemp in different ways,鈥� explained Ted Haney. 鈥淪ome treat it as an agricultural product; others as a narcotic. The current patchwork of regulations makes selling hemp internationally very difficult.鈥�
The global hemp industry developed a framework of recommendations for governments that each association will present to their respective jurisdictions 鈥� with the goal of one set of regulations for hemp production and trade around the world.
鈥淲e are all focussed on ensuring that governments and regulators around the world recognize hemp as an agricultural product not a drug and therefore, the regulations should reflect this status,鈥� explained Haney.聽
The World Health Organization鈥檚 Expert Committee on Drug Dependence recommended that low-THC hemp (cannabis) extracts be removed from inter-governmental regulations. That recommendation has been delivered to the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), who will meet in December 2020 to consider delisting such products from the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (C61) and the Single Convention on Psychotropic Substances (C71).
The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA) called on the Canadian government to demonstrate leadership at the upcoming CND meeting and support the modernization of international hemp regulations.
This represents the removal of a significant barrier to growth of the Canadian hemp industry, which is poised to make the following contributions to the Canadian farm and general economy over the next 10 years.
Future agricultural projections include 360,000 additional seeded acres; $320 million new farm-gate sales; $960 million new value-added industry sales; $750 million new exports; 9,000 new jobs; $350 million new annual capital spending; $48 million new annual R&D spending; and $1.6 billion new economic contributions to the Canadian economy.
鈥淲e know that change will not be easy. However, by working together with other associations around the world, we will see hemp recognized as the valuable crop it is. With the major hemp associations working together, it is only a matter of time until governments see the value in changing the regulations controlling hemp production,鈥� concluded Jones.
聽is a national industry association that promotes Canadian hemp and hemp products globally.
Established in 2003, the alliance represents those involved in Canada鈥檚 hemp industry. Members include farmers, processors, manufacturers, researchers, entrepreneurs and marketers. The key functions of the alliance are to disseminate information, promote the use of nutritional and industrial hemp products, develop standards and coordinate research.
