The Syndicat Professionnel du Chanvre (SPC) expresses its deep concern at recent European and national regulatory developments, calling on public authorities to adopt a rational policy based on sound scientific evidence, in line with European legislation.
The SPC’s first concern for the future of the sector is the French National Health and Safety Agency’s (ANSES) proposal to classify CBD as a substance presumed to be toxic for human reproduction (category 1B). The historical representative of the hemp industry denounces a decision based on a single study, deemed insufficiently representative of the realities of use and doses consumed by users. The SPC rightly believes that such a classification would have serious economic consequences, calling into question years of investment and efforts towards exemplary traceability and quality, and directly threatening the survival of many jobs.
In response to the ANSES proposal, the SPC, supported by theAssociation Française des Producteurs de Cannabinoïdes (AFPC) and theUnion des Industriels pour la valorisation des extraits de chanvre (UIVEC), has commissioned two independent scientific expertises – from Chemsafe and Dr Fabian Steinmetz – to provide the European authorities with an exhaustive and objective analysis. The union is calling for a general mobilization of the sector in view of the public consultation due to take place shortly.
The second point highlighted by the SPC is the ban on CBD in Italy, now classified as a narcotic. This brutal measure, which blatantly contradicts European legislation and WHO recommendations, is a death sentence for the transalpine industry, which employs some 20,000 people and generates nearly 2 billion euros in sales.
Paradoxically, for France, where 80% of CBD products marketed in the Hexagon come from Italian imports, this decision could represent a major economic opportunity. In light of this change in the Italian legal framework, the SPC invites French players to reorient themselves towards sustainable local production with impeccable traceability, following the example of French company Canebiera, which recently won an award at Spannabis in March.
Third issue : the rise of neo-cannabinoids, synthetic substances that threaten both public health and the credibility of the hemp CBD industry. Recently, the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) included several of these new cannabinoids on its official list of narcotics, officially recognizing their potential danger to health. The SPC would like to see all these molecules banned, insisting on the need to use existing analysis and traceability tools to protect consumers and retailers from market abuses.
