The cultivation of industrial hemp in Moldova could become a solution for climate challenges, as its introduction into the agricultural circuit will stimulate the national economy, said agricultural producers and activists during a press conference on Tuesday.

Nicolae Sprînceană, a farmer, said the negative impact of weather conditions on crops make farmers look for alternatives, such as growing hemp. He says that in agriculture hemp is a good precursor for all crops, and Romania’s practice shows that hemp cultivation is also economically efficient. “You can earn 1000 euros from just one ton of seeds”. In the context, he is asking the authorities to change the legislation so that farmers can grow industrial hemp.

Marin Ceban, a producer of cold-pressed oil, has been making hemp oil for 5 years. The product has no contraindications, it can also be used by children, he says. The producer complains that the raw material is expensive, leading to a large price tag on the final product, although it could be cheaper if Moldovan producers were allowed to grow their own raw material.

Vladimir Ursu, executive director of the Rural Renaissance NGO, said that last year his organization built a house from industrial hemp. It was not difficult to build, but it took longer to import the hemp powder. It took three months to prove to a number of governmental agencies that the imported hemp does not contain THC, the psychoactive substance found in marijuana.

Natalia Papuc, member of MOVCA NGO, said that civic activists and farmers are demanding the adjustment of the legislation and allowing the cultivation of hemp, because it has a huge economic potential.

Victor Melnic, president of AROMEDA, said that every year, at the European and global level, the areas cultivated with hemp grow. Industrial hemp is also grown in the vicinity of Moldova, in Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan.