Þórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Innovation of Iceland says she is willing to look into the possibility of reforming laws around hemp production for industrial use in Iceland, RÚV reports.
Halldóra Mogensen, MP for the Pirate Party, initiated the discussion, pointing out that drug laws in Iceland have made life difficult for companies and individuals interested in hemp products. She also stressed that by hemp, she is not referring to cannabis indica or other products that contain large amounts of the psychoactive chemical THC, but rather industrial hemp that is non-psychoactive and can be used for medication, clothing and many other applications.
Halldóra stressed that Icelandic law concerning hemp is in a “grey area” and the co-operation of various ministries would be needed to rectify the situation.
Þórdís in turn responded by saying that if production of non-psychoactive hemp could produce jobs and prosperity, she’s keen to look into it. Adding that “prejudices that people might have for the drug should not be a hindrance for other types of hemp being utilised”.
Experimental hemp production is already underway in Iceland. In Gautavík, farmer Pálmi Einarsson has been growing industrial hemp. He was among the speakers at a conference earlier this month called Hemp for the Future, where the many uses of hemp and its possible role in Iceland’s future was discussed. It was the first conference of its kind in Iceland.
