The Ecologist group’s motion for a resolution in favor of the development of the hemp industry and better regulation of CBD was largely adopted by the Senate on Thursday November 17.
Guillaume Gontard, president of the French Senate’s ecologist group and sponsor of the resolution, had no difficulty in securing approval for his “Proposition de résolution en faveur du développement économique de la filière du chanvre et pour améliorer la réglementation entourant le CBD”.Motion for a resolution in favor of the economic development of the hemp industry and for the improvement of regulations surrounding CBD“The text was adopted by 179 votes to 7.
A pious hope, since a Senate resolution is not binding on the government and cannot become law.
One resolution, on the other hand, expresses the concern of the elected members of the Palais du Luxembourg, who are thus challenging the government. With a vote like this, the message to the executive is loud and clear.
179 votes against 7
A government that continues to play the Gallic refractory on CBD and has made it known through the Secretary of State for Rural Affairs, Dominique Faure, who reaffirmed the position of the State in the Senate ” If cannabidiol (CBD NDLR) is not classified as a narcotic, it is nonetheless a psychoactive substance whose health risks are still being analyzed […] It has not been established that CBD is dangerous, but neither has it been scientifically established within which consumption limits it is not […] Only science should inform our decisions.“.
LR, Ecologists, Socialists and Communists unite to support the hemp and CBD industry
Among the text’s supporters is Socialist Senator Gilbert-Luc Devinaz, who described the hemp industry on Public Sénat as a “ pillar of ecologically responsible reindustrialization “. ” Whether in the local construction industry, the textile industry, the development of lighter, compostable bioplastics, a reinvented paper industry, or the development of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and wellness products”. In this respect, he deplored the fact that the sector had not benefited from the recovery plan put in place during the pandemic.
Within the LR group, elected representatives also widely encouraged the government to do more for the hemp industry. LR senator Laure Darcos regretted ” the impossibility for project owners to make financial use of hemp concrete through energy saving certificates […] project owners are therefore unable to claim state aid for housing renovation“.
Finally, for CRCE (Groupe communiste républicain citoyen et écologiste) senator Marie-Noëlle Lienemann, it’s this association of cannabis and hemp that is holding back the development of the industry. ” It’s not a question of sidestepping the debate on cannabis legislation. We need to adopt a rational attitude “she called.
The main proposals of the text supported by 179 out of 186 senators:
- Opening up the “Organic Agriculture” label to all hemp products intended for human and animal consumption.
- Expansion of the catalog of authorized hemp welfare cultivars to include varieties containing less than 1% THC.
- The introduction of non-binding recommended daily doses (RDIs) for CBD consumption, to be mentioned on product packaging, in order to prevent any form of problematic consumption of CBD-based products.
- The introduction of a framework for the use of CBD in food supplements.
- Opening up the “Organic Agriculture” label to all hemp products intended for human and animal consumption.
- The categorization of hemp products with active ingredients (CBD, CBN, THC, CBG…) to identify those for well-being and everyday consumption and those for medical care and pharmacopoeia.
- Providing law enforcement agencies (customs, police, gendarmerie) with portable tests to accurately distinguish between the CBD and THC content of raw products.
