Bulgaria: Market and legal data analysis of the cannabis sector

11th April 2024: Bulgaria: The National Assembly has rejected the bill to amend the Law on the Control of Narcotic Substances and Precursors, which would allow cultivation and processing of industrial hemp with up to 1% THC, press reports. Out of 163 deputies, 49 voted in favour, 81 voted against and 33 abstained. The current THC limit for hemp cultivation is 0.3%. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the bill does not comply with European regulation, which does not allow the use of hemp seed varieties with more than 0.3% THC. The Ministry of Health stated that the adoption of the bill would have led to the free use of hemp.
12th June 2023: Bulgaria: The Ministry of Economy and Industry has notified a bill to the European Commission's TRIS database which allows cultivation and processing of industrial hemp with up to 1% THC. The standstill period ends on 11th September 2023. The bill has been under the national parliament's analysis since May 2023.
16th May 2023: Bulgaria: A bill to amend the Law on the Control of Narcotic Substances and Precursors has been reintroduced in Parliament by the centre-right party Democratic Bulgaria. The bill would allow cultivation and processing of industrial hemp with up to 1% THC. Currently, the THC cap for hemp cultivation is 0.3%.
11th May 2023: Bulgaria: The Ministry of Agriculture has issued a decree changing the requirements for hemp cultivation licences. It raises the THC cap from 0.2% to 0.3% and requires current licence-holders to apply for a new licence by 5th August.
24th April 2023: Bulgaria: The Ministry of Interior has released the results of a police operation that seized 5,670 products containing hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) "with extremely vague documentation". Stefan Bakalov, head of the Department for Combating Drug Trafficking at the Central Customs Department, said that HHC is about to be categorised as a narcotic substance and the "fight against it will be anticipated". On 20th April the National Drugs Council agreed to add HHC to Schedule 1 of the Regulation on the Classification of Plants and Substances as Narcotics, but so far no bills have been presented in Parliament.
20th April 2023: Bulgaria: The National Drugs Council has agreed to add hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) to Schedule 1 of the Regulation on the Classification of Plants and Substances as Narcotics as an analogue of THC, banning its production, processing, trading, acquisition, possession and use. An inter-ministry working group will draw up a bill to present to Parliament.
21st March 2023: Bulgaria: The Ministry of Agriculture has opened for public consultation a draft ordinance to change the conditions for obtaining a permit to grow industrial cannabis. It includes raising the THC limit from 0.2% to 0.3% and altering the application documents. The consultation is open until 18th April.
20th January 2023: Bulgaria: The Ministry of Internal Affairs has not expressed its support for the Bill to Amend the Law on the Control of Narcotic Substances and Precursors, presented by the centrist party We Continue to Change, and which aims to allow the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp with less than 1% THC. A similar bill was presented by the centre-right party Democratic Bulgaria, which would allow processing and cultivation of hemp with less than 0.3% THC. Both bills are to be submitted to their first reading.

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