U.K. Advisory Council Recommends Increasing THC Allowed in Hemp
The United Kingdom’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has recommended increasing the amount of allowed THC in hemp to .3%. Currently, the maximum THC content allowed in industrial hemp is .2%. The recommendation is based on a determination that the potential benefits outweigh any increased risk of harm.
The ACMD members are government-appointed to advise the Home Office, which manages law enforcement in the U.K. It is up to Prime Minister Keir Starmer to act on the recommendation. He has indicated in the past that he does not plan on changing U.K. drug laws, so there is uncertainty as to whether he will accept the ACMD recommendation.
The proposed change reads it would “increase the maximum THC content of industrial hemp grown outdoors for seed production or in order to use the non-controlled parts of the plant to produce fibre for use in the construction and textile industries from 0.2 to 0.3%, as the potential benefits outweigh an increased risk of harms.” It does not address extracting CBD oil for use in hemp-based products or the production of products with enough THC to cause intoxication.
The ACMD does say it will be assessing the “harms of semi-synthetic cannabinoids” soon. These are compounds that are chemically similar to natural cannabinoids but are produced in a laboratory, and could potentially pose health risks if not regulated properly.
There are several reasons the ACMD has made the recommendation. One is the potential economic benefits because hemp growers will be able to access many more hemp varieties, leading to a more diverse and competitive market. Another reason is that the U.K. could export industrial hemp to more global markets, thereby boosting the country’s agricultural exports and potentially creating new jobs in the industry.
Increasing the THC allowed in hemp brings the U.K. in alignment with the THC limits in the European Union and the United States. The European Union increased the allowed THC content from .2% to .3% in 2023. Increasing the THC threshold in the U.K. would benefit CBD producers and manufacturers because hemp plants cultivated with more THC will also have more CBD since they are the cannabinoids found in the most significant amounts in the hemp plant.
Also, as Hemp Today wrote,
“The proposed 0.3% limit could lay the groundwork for a more supportive regulatory environment, particularly if it facilitates broader reform. This change could prompt revisions to the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), a law that restricts UK industrial hemp companies by limiting access to essential financial and legal services.”
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs did recognize in their memo that there may be some risks to increasing the THC amount. However, the report also said, “In the North American hemp market, there have been no health problems reported in the last 12 years.” The ACMD believes the benefits of increasing the THC limit outweigh the risks.
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