The evolution of the cannabis industry has been immense, especially with the wave of low-THC cannabis cultivation sweeping across Europe.
This marks a significant change in the global cannabis scene, driven by changing legislation, market demand, and consumer preference.
The insights from small-scale low THC cannabis growers in Italy and Switzerland inform backers of, the characteristics and impacts of this burgeoning sector.
Low THC Growers present a different kind of view than their High THC peers, stressing the nuances of the dynamics taking place within cannabis cultivation and use.
Low-THC Cannabis Growers. Characteristics
Demographically and behaviorally, European low-THC cannabis growers differ from high-THC growers. They are older, with a median age of 29, and the majority are men.
They have more experience in growing cannabis, as most of them had started this activity during their teens.
The motivation behind growing low THC cannabis, though illegal, is primarily medical rather than recreational, which is a significant departure from most high THC cannabis.
Underpinning this medically orientated motivation is the broader therapeutic potential for cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis abundant in low THC cannabis.
Low THC growers would instead engage in cannabis by-product manufacturing, including oils and extracts, to cater to the continuous demands for various products derived from cannabis.
Such versatility of production not only satisfies the needs arising from personal consumption but also fits in with market trends toward the non-psychoactive cannabis product balance.
Even though they are highly experienced, low THC growers give fewer reports of problematic consumption of cannabis compared to high THC growers, indicating that their cultivating and using is performed in a more controlled and goal-directed way.
Growing Motivations and Legal Landscapes
Low THC growers’ motivations are highly intertwined with the legal landscapes of Italy and Switzerland.
These jurisdictions quickly allowed enacting legislation to permit cultivation and, under certain conditions, commerce of low-THC cannabis, which interested a niche of growers based on criteria of legality.
In Switzerland, THC in legal hemp was increased to below 1.0%, while in Italy, it was set at 0.6%.
There have been regulatory changes that have opened avenues for low THC cannabis to take off, especially among consumers who want to avoid the legal repercussions associated with high-THC cannabis.
The legal status of cultivation activities provides significant incentives for many low THC cannabis growers. They are more likely to grow cannabis for medical purposes and to extract therapeutic benefits from CBD.
This trend is well-established in Switzerland, where the production and consumption of low THC cannabis products enjoys minimal legal restrictions.
On the other hand, while in Italy, low THC cannabis can be commercially sold with some ease, its consumption is barely regulated, leaving low THC growers in a grey area where they have to be very careful.
Comparative Analysis of High-THC Growers
Some critical differences include cultivation practices and motivations in the comparative analysis between low THC growers and high THC growers.
They are more likely to grow cannabis for medicinal purposes, pointing to the many benefits of CBD.
Producing cannabis for medicinal or medical purposes, emphasising the remedy offered by CBD contrasts with High THC growers who mainly grow it to consume it to get ‘high’ from high THC percentages.
Low THC growers encompass a more diversified approach to production with more significant potential for by-products. As such, other than utilizing the product for its medical purpose, there is also alignment with market demand based on versatile cannabis products.
At the same time, high THC farmers grow mainly for direct consumption, especially herbal-type uses.
Such legal hassles involved in the cultivation of high-THC Cannabis keep many potential growers at bay, leaving the low THC market wide open to those remaining within the boundaries of the law.
Implications for Future Growing
This low-THC cannabis cultivation surge across Europe, notwithstanding, could be interpreted as a medical twist in the cannabis market, with important implications for public health, context-defining regulatory frameworks, and market dynamics.
While drafting regulations, policymakers need to contextualize these insights to maximize the benefits associated with low-THC cannabis cultivation while reducing potential risks.
On that front, further research will be needed on the long-term impacts of low THC Cannabis cultivation and use towards instituting evidence-based policy decisions.
A New Paradigm Embraced
This study on the growing of low-THC cannabis in Europe gives a window into the enormous transformative potential of the cannabis industry.
These cultivators are, therefore, a particular category of people who are driven by medically induced reasons and fuelled by legally induced needs, thus significantly adding diversity to the cannabis market.
Their characteristics and cultivation practices have enormous potential for deriving valuable knowledge salient for the future evolution of cannabis cultivation—it being consumer-friendly and thriving but not at the cost of society.
