Germany : Lower Saxony Says Cultivation Clubs Can Do Own Testing – But Most Specifics Remain Undefined

A recipe for future issues ..

German Cannabis Business Association

Lower Saxony’s Minister of Agriculture Miriam Staudte (The Greens) met with representatives of the Chamber of Agriculture and the growers’ associations in Oldenburg last week. Among those present were Heinrich Wieker [State Association of Cannabis Cultivation Associations in Lower Saxony (NICA) and coordinator of the Federal Working Group of Cannabis Cultivation Associations (BCAv)] and activists from the first nationwide harvesting associations, the CSC Ganderkesee and CSC Lower Saxony.

Topics such as sampling, transport, analytics, organizational and business models as well as real estate regulations were discussed. According to Heinrich Wieker, the meeting is intended to mark the start of a long-term and trusting collaboration between the growers’ associations and the authorities in Lower Saxony.

It was made clear that mandatory tests for THC and CBD are not safety-critical and can be carried out in the clubs under their own control. The accuracy of these tests should be within certain limits, but these have not yet been defined. An objective comparison between different test methods and the chamber’s analysis values should be carried out. Analyses for heavy metals and fungal toxins could not be mandatory until binding limits were set by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

The search for rental properties for clubs without their own land poses a regulatory problem, as cannabis cultivation is not categorized as such. A regulation is needed that offers better opportunities in commercial and industrial areas and simplifies the application process for changes of use.

The association representatives emphasized that each association is run by a small number of people. In order to ensure professionalism and effectiveness, they would like to see mergers of associations in common but separate areas.

Lower Saxony had played a pioneering role in the licensing of cultivation associations and could possibly become a model for the whole of Germany with the regulation there.