We are surprised by the avalanche of queries that farmers from all over Spain are asking us every day who want to change their usual crops for industrial hemp crops for the production of CBD.
Everyone knows that Cannabidiol is booming and is a business opportunity for multiple sectors, but there are still many doubts about it, especially regarding licensing and legality.
Why grow industrial hemp?
Until now, industrial hemp had many traditional applications such as: food, cordage, paper industry, cosmetics, agriculture, textile sector, seeds, medicine, oils rich in fats and proteins, lubricants, bioplastics, biodiesel fuel, bioconstruction materials, etc
But now the game has changed: The production of high-quality CBD-rich oil and CBD-rich flowers are leading the hemp industry thanks to high profit margins. The main competition is not only to produce mass but to achieve the highest possible quality.
How do you get a license to grow industrial hemp?
It is currently possible to grow hemp in the European Union as long as the THC content, the plant's main psychoactive cannabinoid, is no higher than 0,2%.
El Royal Decree 1729/1999, of November 12, 1999, authorizes 25 varieties of industrial hemp for cultivation in Spain. Apart from this, for the cultivation to be legal, the seeds must be certified by the European Union.
For obtaining and subsequent marketing of fiber, seeds or their use for horticultural purposes or to sell the CBD flowers As an aromatic or ornamental product, it will be necessary:
- Authorization from the Department of Agriculture of the corresponding municipality.
- Keep all invoices and analyzes to demonstrate to the competent authorities that it is a legal seed.
- Buy certified seeds.
This certification It will have to be presented to the Regional Agrarian Office of the municipality where it is going to be cultivated. A must be completed memory of use and final destination of hemp, which can be for textile use or as an oilseed plant.
With memory, you must register the plantation in the General Registry of Agricultural Production, also requiring periodic analyzes of the crop so that the THC level does not exceed the permitted 0,2%.
It is also recommended inform the Civil Guard of the existence of the plantation to avoid future problems.
Finally, if there is a transformation or extraction of CBD, the mandatory license from the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products is necessary. (Enlace).
The coast of Almería and Granada, “the new California of the CBD”.
There are already more than 100 hectares (when this article was written in 2020, this number has probably already multiplied by 10) between Almería and Granada dedicated to the cultivation of Cannabis Sativa and new farmers who are fed up with the decreasing prices in the sector continue to join periodically. agricultural sector seeking to take advantage of the “green gold” boom.
There are various companies promoting this movement among farmers in the form of cooperatives that are responsible for both the legal advice and management of the crops and the marketing of the product, greatly facilitating the change to the cultivation of cannabis sativa for farmers.
Where to buy cannabis sativa seeds certified by the European Union
Certified seeds can only be purchased from authorized suppliers and with continuous control of their origin and destination. It is vitally important that once a bag of certified seeds is purchased, the certification label is kept so that the origin can always be verified. At HispaCBD you can buy certified seeds of industrial hemp. We have the best varieties to obtain high-quality CBD flower, and all of them with their certificate of origin.
Not all certified seeds are suitable for obtaining quality CBD flowers. Currently the best and most requested are:
All that glitters is not gold: The hidden side of CBD
We would like to make a small point to inform you that this market is governed to a certain extent by the same laws that exist in the black market of illegal marijuana, you just have to read in the newspapers about the waves of robberies and shootings on the coast of Almería and others.
It may seem to us that this industrial hemp and CBD market could be the paradise of any grower and lover of cannabis, we also have to comment a little on the “dark side” of this business.
A CBD crop can attract the attention of all types of people to your harvest, both curious and lovers of the aroma and cultivation and people with other intentions. CBD crops are experiencing waves of thefts and you should be prepared for them by investing in surveillance and security.
The simple fact that industrial hemp, of good quality, is almost impossible to distinguish from traditional marijuana with high levels of THC, it will attract all kinds of people, from thieves to organized groups and gangs who will want to buy your harvest to distribute it on the black market, passing it off as traditional marijuana and even mixing it with the same, with its price being even higher, a great deal for the marijuana mafias.
Thanks for the article, I was looking for information on how to start a CBD crop since I have a greenhouse for it but I couldn't find anything conclusive on the internet due to the legal doubts on this topic. In the end it will be easier than it seemed. All the best!