Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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83. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the possible development of hemp cultivation as a significant agricultural activity should be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7007/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Hemp fibre and seed are viewed as versatile products, used to produce a wide range of commodities including food and beverage products, medicines and a range of industrial products

Hemp grown for fibre production is frequently referred to as “industrial” hemp, in order to differentiate it from the plants used for drug production. Industrial hemp has been selectively bred for several decades in order to lower, to almost negligible amounts, the narcotic compound THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). In the European Union, the cultivation of hemp is restricted to varieties having a content of THC lower than 0.2 %. Varieties of non-psychoactive hemp are also grown for seed production. The seeds have mainly been used for bird feed, but increasingly are used to produce hemp oil and as a cooking ingredient.

The growing of hemp, of any category, requires a licence from the Health Products Regulatory Authority.

Hemp has been the subject of research by Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority. Findings have noted that yields can vary between seasons but that the crop is responsive to low level inputs.

However, it is important to point out that subject to the licensing requirements outlined above, potential growers or processors wishing to cultivate hemp commercially should be satisfied that such an activity is economically viable. Any assessment would usefully include an analysis of the costs of establishing hemp processing facilities on a sound, commercial footing without recourse to State funding