Frequently Asked Questions

At this moment, we are supporting our partners conducting life cycle assessments (LCA) and working on the whole hemp value chain description in order to be able to count the exact amount of CO2 locked in the biomass and products made of it. After this initial part is done, the hemp industry will then have to develop and harmonize regulations for different processes and uses of hemp biomass that proof to sequester CO2 (provided the assessments are done by credible scientists and audits are done by certified companies). Anyone claiming to issue CO2 credits based on field acreage or mere final weight of the hemp biomass regardless of its further use has not taken the bigger picture of carbon cycles and/or wider consequences of carbon trading into consideration.

Hemp is ideally grown in rotations with other crops, where it provides different nutrients for the following crops. We are fully aware of the destructive consequences of monoculture crops and it is not our intend to promote hemp as such. In the past, we participated in the EU EIP-AGRI focus group on Sustainable Industrial Crops, making a study of various techniques and practices to grow industrial crops in the most sustainable way. We are open to continue this work and collaborate in a group of experts developing new frameworks on how to grow high volumes of industrial hemp without doing harm to ecosystems and/or displacing land suitable for food production. Additionally, we are able to help farmers integrate new farming practices such as regenerative farming, use of cover crops or organic fertilizers to integrate hemp into good farming practices and to support the whole sowing cycle.

Get in touch with us, tell us your story, share your background and skills and we’ll help you find the right direction. There are many different industries working with hemp – construction, petrochemical, automotive, food, pharmaceutical, furniture, textile etc. (see Applications section in Why hemp page). If you have an open mind and will to learn, you will soon find the right network of hemp experts who will mentor you journey to success in the hemp industry.

Hemp industry has many gaps in its value chain. That means there are a lot of opportunities to turn investment in a successful bussiness and fullfill an actual demand for hemp materials on the market. The hemp industry is a highly dynamic one – often influenced by abrupt policy changes (for better or worse). As with any other investment (but in hemp industry especially), make sure the numbers in the business plan are based on reality and compared with competitors. If you need a more detailed analysis or consultation, please get in touch with us.

Since 2021, we do not operate as a membership association anymore, but you can always donate to one of our ongoing or planned projects on our Homepage (highly appreciated!). If you’re an owner / representative of company that wants to integrate hemp in its production / supply chains, please get in touch with us via the form in Our services page. We can advise or work as partners with your business. If you’re a representative of an environmental organization / university / research project / scientific consortium or a representative of a political body looking for information about hemp, please get in touch with us. If you’d like to collaborate on one of our R&D projects, please refer to Our Services – Research and Development section, then fill the Form to express your interest.

Genetically, there is only one Cannabis plant is, but it has many phenotypes and breeding branches depending on the use case. By selective breeding cultivars with low THC were created under some limits which are acceptable by national laws (usually ranging from 0,3 to 1%). Cannabis generally is a dioicus plant (which means male and female genetics on different plants). Most of the industrial hemp cultivars are reproduced as monoicus varieties (having both the male and female genetics on the same plant) to provide higher and homogenous yields in seeds for food and stem (containing shives and fibers) for other industrial materials and applications.

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The UN Single Convention considers cannabis as a drug since 1961, and many countries around the world prohibited its growth and use. The only exemption in the Convention is the use of seeds and stem (containing the shivs and fibers needed for most industrial applications), both of which are not prohibited by international drug law. The problematic part in various national regulations is the hemp flower because of the small amounts of THC it contains. Nations around the world have all the right to set their own cannabis and hemp regulations, but not beyond what the UN Single Convention commands. The international allowance of the content of THC in the biomass varies between 0.2% to 1%.

With its diversified use, hemp offers a surprisingly versatile solution to todays and future challenges, including climate change mitigation. Its rapidly growing biomass and wide range of industrial applications can play its role as a potent carbon sink. Hemp is, in fact, one of the fastest CO2-to-biomass conversion tools available. Most importantly, hemp fibers and hurds can replace a wide range of products in some of the most polluting industries (see more at Why hemp > Applications).

1 ha of hemp field can absorp up to 22 tons of carbon. To be able to measure the exact amount of CO2, we need to conduct various LCAs (life cycle assessments) to make sure the CO2 is locked long term. Analysis of CO2 sequestration using hemp biomass needs to be seen in context of the whole value chain, from the seed to the end product, not merely by counting the field acreage or volume of the grown biomass. For more information, refer to FAQ > Organisation > Q: “Does HTC issue carbon credits?”.

Check the local regulations and get the right source of certified seeds to grow in complaint with local law to make sure you don’t get in troubles. Hemp does not like acidic soils (ideal for hemp is 6,5-7pH) and it needs organic nutrition to be able to grow in good yield. Find out if there are people in your country already working with hemp and try to learn from their experience. Analyze the markets needs, and the requirements for the quality of different materials. Ask if somebody (ideally in proximity) is going to buy your production and try to close a contract with them. In case you require a more in depth analysis of your situation or detailed advice on sowing, machinery, harvesting technology etc., please get in touch with us.

Industrial hemp can provide carbon negative materials for the construction industry, healthy and affordable food, longer lasting products that can be repaired, recycled and/or re-used, it can improve energy efficiency of buildings and substitute a wide range of other polluting materials and products across various industries. Hemp is an efficient renewable resource to be used in accordance with bio-economy models and circular economy principles. Furthermore it acts as a carbon sink and can do a great work remediating and improving the state of European soils.

There are many different industries working with hemp as a sustainable material – construction, petrochemical, automotive, aerospace, food, pharmaceutical, furniture, textile, etc. (see more at Why hemp > Applications). Hemp fibers and/or shivs are being turned into hempcrete (carbon negative building material), hemp wood (well performing imitation of oak wood), prefabricated roof panels and flooring, hemp-based bioplastic packaging and bio composites, hemp batteries and superchargers, hemp hydrogen, pesticide-free textiles, filaments for 3D printers, and many others.

We believe hemp is an important instrument to help fulfill the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. On our website (in the section “Why hemp > Climate Change”, you can find some of the UN SDGs (7.,8.,9.,11.,12.,13.,15.), where in our view hemp is most relevant and beneficial. In 2019, our team members also helped put together the Cannabis and Sustainable Development publication.