Hemp leaves for herbal infusions: EU approval embraced

Our Response to EU's Decision

We are delighted with the recent decision by the EU Commission to approve hemp leaves for herbal infusion. This agreement, affirming that hemp leaves are not considered novel for herbal infusion, is a significant step forward for the industry and one that we have been eagerly anticipating.

Impact of the Changes

This decision aligns with the long-standing position of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA). The EIHA has been advocating for hemp leaves to be explicitly exempt from the Novel Food Catalogue, allowing them to be authorised for marketing as traditional food for herbal infusion.

We support EIHA's efforts in discussions with the EU Institutions and Member States on the Novel Food legislation. We are pleased that scientific evidence and historical facts have prevailed over prejudice, leading to this positive outcome.

We hope that this positive and constructive engagement will prevent operators in many EU countries from suffering from misleading interpretation, seizures, and unnecessary administrative requirements.

We remain committed to supporting the normalisation of the hemp plant and its products, and will continue to work alongside the EIHA and EIHA Novel Food Consortium to achieve this goal.

Our Future Expectations and Plans

We look forward to more changes in the Novel Food Catalogue in the future.

We believe that this decision will pave the way for further advancements in the hemp industry, bringing much-needed legal certainty and eliminating any doubts surrounding the open marketing of hemp-derived food and drinks throughout Europe.

With this legal change, we are excited about the potential to produce herbal teas full of cannabinoids and terpenes. We see this as a fantastic opportunity to expand our product range and offer our customers a new way to enjoy the benefits of hemp.