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Canadian Regulations
The Industrial Hemp Regulation Program permits Canadian farmers to grow low-TCH cannabis for industrial use, under controlled circumstances. This program administers the regulatory approval process for the commercial production of industrial hemp. It is comprised of a system of licences, permits and authorizations for all persons in Canada engaged in the cultivation, distribution, importation, exportation, and processing of industrial hemp. The program started on March 12, 1998, when the Industrial Hemp Regulations came into effect.
As Health Canada eloquently states,
“The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) prohibits certain activities with controlled substances. Regulations under the CDSA, such as the Industrial Hemp Regulations (IHR), authorize certain activities with specific controlled substances.
More specifically, Cannabis is a controlled substance under the CDSA. Possession, trafficking, import, export and production of all varieties of Cannabis regardless of the THC or
tetrahydrocannabinol (tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol) content are prohibited unless authorized according to regulations or an exemption. The Industrial Hemp Regulations enable persons/companies to cultivate and process industrial hemp for commercial purposes through a licensing system.”
Its relationship with hemp ties back to that definition. Hemp, Cannabis, Kannabis. Well not entirely true, it ties more to the plant itself, but that plant, by name, is Cannabis. REGARDLESS of the THC content. Even 0.3% isn’t low enough to escape the control of Health Canada.
Hemp can be grown in Canada with the framework of Health Canada’s regulatory requirements. Those interested in growing can apply for a licensed to produce, and LP, hemp style. Growers must submit samples for testing THC levels and provide GPS coordinates on their production fields for identification as well as inspection purposes.