Hemp producers complain of regulatory confusion

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Cannabis to go was available at Zurich and Bern train stations on Thursday: Two Swiss hemp companies gave away more than 10,000 legal cannabis plants to commuters on the occasion of World Hemp Day.

The CBD weed experienced a huge advance a few years ago. It contains only very small amounts of the intoxicating substance tetrahydrocannabinol, THC for short, and has therefore been legal since 2011.

“Regulatory Confusion”

But after the high came the hangover. Producers complain of a “regular jumble” slowing down the legal CBD business. “If politicians don’t quickly take the right course, a potential market worth billions will be suffocated,” says Philippe Wietlisbach (37), CEO of the Bernese hemp company Herba di Berna.

As an example, Wietlisbach cites CBD oils, which make up a significant portion of legal cannabis sales. Rheumatism patients, for example, use the droplets against pain and inflammation, others to fall asleep and sleep better through the night. However, current legislation does not provide for the oils to be ingested, as they cannot be declared as food. And if it is considered a remedy, CBD is only available by prescription.

Galaxus stops selling

Instead, manufacturers now declare the drops as chemicals or cosmetics. While the authorities in some cantons turned a blind eye, according to the industry, they acted rigorously against such products in Zurich and Geneva, for example.

For this reason, Zurich-based online retailer Galaxus stopped selling CBD oils a few months ago, the company confirms upon request.

“Switzerland should be a pioneer of legal hemp products. But outdated laws push certain products onto a gray market,” said Thomas Bär (40), chairman of IG Hemp, irritated. The high demand for expensive CBD oils shows that there is a need for it.

Parliament wants to move forward

The federal government and the EU, on the other hand, take the position that there is still insufficient evidence that CBD oils are harmless to health. For safety reasons, they are therefore not approved as a food.

The industry now hopes for politics. The Bundesrat has repeatedly made it clear that it sees no need for action. Parliament is different. It wants to fundamentally rethink cannabis regulation – not only with regard to CBD products, but also with regard to cannabis that is illegal today.

Late last year, the Federal Addiction Commission also released a position paper for cannabis legalization. The Demand: Adults must have legal access to controlled cannabis products.

Source:Blick