The UK is taking a new step in industrial hemp policy with the launch of the Industrial Hemp Innovations Hub, an innovation center based at Aberystwyth University in Wales. The initiative marks an attempt to revitalize the sector after years of regulatory hurdles and institutional failures.

The Welsh hub will take over the Secretariat of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on industrial hemp, providing a dedicated space for technical and political dialogue. The goal is to unlock the economic, environmental, and social potential of hemp in the country by connecting academia, government, and the productive sector.

This new phase aims to distance itself from past experiences. A previous APPG, focused on hemp and CBD products, collapsed amid internal disputes and lack of transparency in management. The episode resulted in a leadership vacuum and little progress in regulatory standards, despite the publication of an ambitious plan in 2022 that envisioned the cultivation of up to 220,000 hectares of hemp — a goal viewed skeptically by experts and producers.

For sector organizations and analysts, the establishment of the Industrial Hemp Innovations Hub represents a second chance for British industrial hemp. However, they warn that without clear reforms in licensing, marketing, and research, hemp cultivation will remain a high-risk and unattractive proposition for local farmers.

The relaunch of the agenda reflects a shift in the UK's political discourse, now more pragmatic and aligned with ecological goals. Success, however, will depend on the development of effective public policies that recognize hemp as a strategic ally in the green transition and sustainable rural development.

With information from Cáñamo