The Cologne Declaration on Industrial Hemp

The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) Cologne (Germany), 7 June2017

Authors of the declaration: Michael Carus (Managing Director of EIHA),Mark Reinders (President of EIHA),

Boris Baňas (Board member), Bernd Frank (Board member), Daniel Kruse(Board member), Daniela Sfrija (Board member)

This Declaration has been signed by the following participants of the“14th International Conference of the European Industrial Hemp Association”, 7- 8 June 2017, Maternushaus, Cologne, Germany

Industrial hemp delivers a remarkable global performance and attractsmore and more investments. Hemp is a multi-purpose crop, a biorefinery bynature, delivering fibres, shives, seeds and active plant ingredients for foodsupplements and pharmaceuticals at the same time.

Reasonable and harmonised legislation on THC guidance values for food

Hemp seeds – small nuts with a high nutritional value – can be consumedraw or pressed into hemp seed oil, which has an excellent and unique fatty acid profile. Both seeds and oil are usedfor human food and animal feed. Hemp food faces a strong demand from the healthand super food market. A patchwork of regulations and very strict guidancevalues for the THC content in food products in Europe are a barrier for fastermarket growth and investment. Hemp food products from Canada and US, countrieswith reasonable legislation, have strong competitive advantages.

The signatories urge policy makers to develop a reasonable and harmonisedlegislation on THC guidance values for food in Europe and in all member states,to make sure that consumers are protected, to sustain the industry’s currentdouble-digit growth rate, to attract new investors, create jobs and to boostproduct development.

Europe should not miss this opportunity to promote consumer health andwell-being as well as growth in agriculture and the food industry. Europeshould create a level playing field with Canada and the USA. Canada and the USAcan be taken as good examples for reasonable legislation.

For more information, please visit www.eiha.org