In late July 2023, the Albanian Parliament passed a bill making industrial hemp and medical cannabis legal (1). The legislation passed with a vote of 69-23 and also called for the creation of a National Cannabis Control Agency, which would regulate the cultivation of the plants and the manufacturing of products (1). The agency will also establish a Licensing Commission, and applicants must comply with certain requirements–in experience in the industry, for example– though several sources reportedly noted that no company currently complies with these requirements (1). The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) limit is set at .8%, the law stated and no limit was given for the amount of hemp that can be grown for grain and fiber (2). Albania legalized hemp in 2004 and the new law sees all hemp extracts as medical cannabis, though the extracts may only be produced for export markets (2).

Source: Forbes August 10, 2023 01:34 UTC