Cannabis as a licit crop: recent developments in Europe
After a continued decline in fibre hemp cultivation and industrial processing during the post-war period, a sudden upward trend is now being noted in the industrialized world, especially in Europe. This new interest in licit cannabis cultivation stems both from a growing consumer demand for natural fibres and from the so-called set-aside and diversification farming policy of the European Union resulting in an intense search for profitable new non-food crops.