Slovenian hemp growers will at last be able to use their crop in food products under new rules taking effect on Tuesday. With hemp currently grown on at least 600 hectares, the change is a step forward allowing the sector to become economically viable, said Agriculture Minister.
The new rules are taking effect as Slovenia is seeing a push for the relaxation of rules on cannabis and hemp.
Only recently, two parliamentary parties proposed the legalisation of marijuana for medical and eventually recreational purposes, and the use of hemp in food products.
In the past years, imported food products made of hemp could be sold in stores but growers were not allowed to make their own foodstuffs and sell them.
The growing of hemp has been allowed on a large scale in 2011. Since then, the figures have been increasing fast.
Last year 430 requests for growing hemp were filed, while this year, the figure has gone up to 550, according to Židan. He estimates that hemp is currently being grown on at least 600 hectares.
The minister signed the new rulebook on Friday, after a go-ahead was provided by the ministers of health and the interior.
Židan met on Monday with a group of hemp growers dedicated to preserving old hemp varieties from across Slovenia. The group presented several seed varieties to the minister.
The ministry will launch a process to include the seeds in an EU-wide registry of hemp varieties.
Source: The Slovenia Times
