Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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381. To ask the Minister for Health the reason Ireland enforces such a strict level of tolerance on TAC in hemp in comparison with other EU member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25352/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Misuse of Drugs framework Cannabis is defined as:

“any plant of the genus Cannabis or any part of any such plant (by whatever name designated) but includes neither cannabis resin nor any of the following products after separation from the rest of any such plant, namely -

(a) mature stalk of any such plant,

(b) fibre produced from such mature stalk, or

(c) seed of any such plant.”

Under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977-2016 and the Regulations and Orders made thereunder- it is an offence to cultivate, import, export, produce, supply and possess cannabis except in accordance with a Ministerial licence.

The Misuse of Drugs (Designation) Order 2021 (S.I. 122/2021), limits the purposes for which such licences for cannabis can be issued to research, forensic analysis or use as an essential intermediate or starting material in an industrial manufacturing process and the growing of hemp from seed varieties specified by the Commission of the European Communities, as being eligible for the purposes of Article 1 of Regulation (EU) No. 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013. Under the Regulation the specified seeds may not have a THC level of more than 0.2%.