The Italian hemp sector, locally known as cannabis light, is bracing itself as the right-wing government attempts yet again to crack down on this growing industry. An amendment to the security bill banning hemp flowers has been approved, leaving hemp growers, distributors, and related industries in disarray. The bill is set to be discussed in September, and a question looms: will this go through?
"I'm afraid so," says Lorenza Romanese, managing director of the European Industrial Hemp Association. "The Italian government has willfully done this right in the middle of August when many people are on vacation. When passing such amendments, EU governments need to notify the EU. Italy hasn't done that."
Hemp flowers are legal under EU law, and they also fall under the rule of the free movement of agricultural goods. Banning them in Italy would mean going against communitarian law, exposing the southern European country to possible infringement procedures by the EU parliament. "The amendment is purely ideological because you can't put hemp flowers in the same category as THC cannabis flowers."
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Even though the amendment may pass, growers can take the matter to court, as they already did when the previous Italian government tried to pull a similar ban. "Lots of money has been invested in the sector, especially in setting up top-notch infrastructure. Growers and entrepreneurs will find themselves in a situation where they need to stop growing suddenly, with the risk of losing a substantial amount of money, which not everyone is able to withstand," Lorenza says. In other words, if this amendment passes, the entire sector will halt, and many products will remain in warehouses or even be destroyed. Not to mention the damage to growers, who are expected to start harvesting in September, exactly when the security bill with the hemp flower ban amendment may pass. "Bluntly put, growers will have to throw away all of their hemp crops as long as that amendment is in effect." Certainly, things may eventually return to normal, but the damage will already be done. And as always, those who will suffer the most will be small hemp growers, who make up the majority of the Italian hemp sector.
Italian industry associations, with the help of the EHIA, have already submitted their complaint to the EU, which responded positively, stating that they "are looking into it," Lorenza points out.
Rachele Invernizzi, vice president of Federcanapa, an Italian hemp industry association, and member of the EHIA board, is more optimistic. "Laws must be followed, and European law is clear about hemp flowers," she says. "Because of that, I honestly hardly believe that such an amendment will ultimately go through." She too is worried about how small growers may react to this ban. "The sector is full of young entrepreneurs, and their operations may range from 100 to 10,000 plants. They may get scared and throw it all away. Thousands of people and companies will find themselves without a livelihood just because a purely ideological law takes effect."
Rachele strongly believes that the sector's hope lies in the EU's hands, and that's why they are taking the matter to the EU court, with the help of the EHIA. "It is just really sad that an important EU country like Italy is exposing itself in such a way. As an industry association, we are not leaving anyone alone in this. I know it may be costly to bring things back to normal, but we are crowdfunding and doing everything possible to resolve this matter in the least harmful way." Regardless of these good intentions, however, the agricultural sector as a whole will take quite a blow, with an entire growing subsector facing a sudden, forced stop.