How and why the French are lobbying for the creation of varieties of technical hemp therapeutic orientation

The French not only do not want to miss the extremely profitable market for the pharmacological properties of cannabis, but also rely on the selection of varieties of technical hemp therapeutic orientation. The French still need to create technical varieties of therapeutic orientation, which from 2020 will already be "launched" on the territory of Ukraine. And now we will try together to conclude how much Ukraine will lose if it does not take advantage of the achievements of national breeders and does not settle the possibility of using the “green mass” technical hemp varieties of therapeutic orientation by individuals or legal entities having a residence permit in our country. 

On the pages of the specialized electronic publication of Ukrainian henchmen, more than once attention was focused on how Germany or Israel build policies aimed not only at meeting the needs of patients needing the therapeutic properties of cannabis, but also protecting local agricultural producers, creating the conditions under which cultivation and the processing of plants with significant therapeutic potential will be carried out by national agricultural producers at the facilities of local processors. This material describes how the French are preparing for possible changes to current legislation, initiating a pilot project on the selection of varieties of technical cannabis with tremendous therapeutic potential.  

After considering the question of the possibility of legalizing the use of the therapeutic properties of cannabis for medical purposes in the French Senate, the agricultural manufacturers of the Creuse department actively joined in the work aimed at finding varieties of technical hemp that would be economically feasible to use for medical purposes. Dozens of varieties of plants with therapeutic properties are currently being tested in the south of Croesus, near the town of Gentioux-Pigerolles (Jean-Pizhrol). In particular, this activity is actively engaged in Joanny Chatou (Jouanny Chatou), conducting its activities in the department of Creuse, with the approval of the Chamber of Agriculture of the country. The aforementioned French farmer is actively engaged in the selection of varieties that will become basic for further breeding work aimed at increasing drug-free cannabinoids in cannabis containing less than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol. 

A similar initiative by French farmers was aimed at proving to government officials that a pilot project on this topic could be initiated in the department of Creuse. Farmers in the region wanted to demonstrate to the parliamentarians of the country that they could grow in the required amount of raw materials that have significant therapeutic potential. According to Mr. Shatu, “together with colleagues, this kind of initiative was“ launched ”in order to save time and demonstrate the possibility of using technical varieties of cannabis for therapeutic purposes. My partners and I have invested in modern equipment to ensure that we have every chance of success and remain in the focus of attention of French lawmakers. ” 

In the course of communication with representatives of the media, Joannie Chatou states that “We grow exclusively those plants that are listed in the EU variety varieties and the number of TGCs in which does not exceed 0.2%. These varieties were selected from dozens of varieties of hemp, legally grown on the territory of the European Union. Agricultural producers of the region are ready to grow technical hemp of therapeutic orientation, a laboratory has been created for breeding new varieties, the number of TGCs in which does not exceed 0.2%, and there are agreements with foreign investors who are willing to invest significant financial resources in this sector of French hemp industry. This year we are focused on choosing the best varieties for the genetic selection phase. We want to create our own elite variety that will exactly meet French criteria. ” 

The initiative of the French farmers of the Creuse department was supported by the deputies of parliament in the direction of creating a pilot project for the cultivation of technical hemp therapeutics. These initiatives led to the desired result - the Senate voted for the possibility of creating a pilot project for the selection of varieties of technical hemp therapeutic focus on the basis of the already established facilities in the department of Creuse.

One of the test sites of Mr. Chatou on the "open field"

At the moment, "laid" test sites, which are regularly checked by experts of the Agricultural Chamber of the country. According to Mr. Chatou, “Our goal in these studies is not only to select the most effective technical hemp variety of therapeutic orientation, but also to be ready for“ market entry ”immediately after changes are made to French legislation. We should not allow large financial groups or transnational corporations to seize this highly profitable sector of modern hemp breeding. If French farmers are not ready for the corresponding changes in legislation, we will lose this market. That is why we are fighting. We are trying to demonstrate to the government structures the enormous French potential in these matters. ” Mr. Chatou claims that cultivating a technical therapeutic cannabis allows agricultural producers to earn about € 100,000. from one hectare.

Commentary of the Association "Ukrainian technical hemp" 

In December 2018, the National Agency for the Safety of Drugs and Health Products (Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé, ANSM) recognized the effectiveness of using the therapeutic properties of cannabis for treating epilepsy, localizing the side effects of chemotherapy, the possibility of using the plant during palliative care of patients, as well as treatment of uncontrolled muscle contraction in multiple sclerosis. In January 2019, ANSM created a committee of 13 experts who interviewed patients, doctors and pharmacists about the feasibility of regulatory support for the use of the therapeutic properties of cannabis for medical purposes. The difficulty of the task facing the experts of the Committee is that it is necessary to evaluate the therapeutic properties of cannabis as a “new drug”, without having scientifically sound evidence of its effectiveness.

I would like to draw the attention of our sophisticated readers to the fact that the French not only do not want to miss the extremely profitable market for the pharmacological properties of cannabis, but also rely on the selection of varieties of technical hemp therapeutic orientation. The leader of the cannabis industry in Europe (France cultivates more than half the area of ​​industrial hemp crops) does exactly what the Ukrainian breeders had already worked a few years ago. The French still need to create technical varieties of therapeutic orientation, which from 2020 will already be "launched" on the territory of Ukraine. And now we will try together to conclude how much Ukraine will lose if it does not take advantage of the achievements of national breeders and does not settle the possibility of using the “green mass” of technical hemp varieties of therapeutic orientation by individuals or legal entities having a residence permit in our country.