Hemp

Government proposal to Parliament for an Act amending the Narcotics Act

Hemp plants containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or its isomers classified as narcotics would be defined as a narcotic drug. However, a narcotic drug would not refer to hemp seeds, which are separate from the flowers.

The cultivation of hemp would require prior notification to the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea and the hemp variety to be cultivated should be eligible for support under the relevant European Union legislation. Cultivation would be allowed only for the production of fibre or seed, and cultivation would also be subject to conditions concerning, inter alia, the area of the crop. The cultivation of hemp for use as a narcotic drug and its use in the manufacture or production of narcotics would continue to be prohibited. In addition, plant breeding of hemp
would be subject to authorisation.
Derogations from the general prohibitions laid down in section 5, subsection 1 of the Narcotics Act would be laid down for hemp cultivation under the proposed Act and for hemp cultivated under the proposed Act. Derogations from the general prohibitions would also be provided for raw hemp that fulfils the eligibility criteria for support.