As you may know, Law No. 242 of 2016 on hemp cultivation stipulates that only hemp seeds certified in the European Seed Register can be legally grown. The same condition is required in case you want to apply for European funds to grow hemp.

After all, a certified variety is the only safe investment for those seeking a range of guarantees:

• Varietal purity: the purity of a variety is a quality criterion that refers to the degree of contamination of the seeds with other genetics, a very frequent problem in the sale of hemp seeds. To obtain certification, however, hemp seeds must meet very high requirements set by the EU, so certified hemp seeds will necessarily have a high purity score.
• Genetic stability: the stability of a genetic enables the selection and prediction of phenotypic characteristics of a hemp variety without unpleasant surprises. Hemp seeds with very high stability scores on the one hand allow growers to obtain plants with the desired characteristics, and on the other hand avoid surprises related to cannabinoid percentages. With non-certified seeds, it often happens that the THC level alters during the growth stages of the plant, exceeding that provided by the legal limits or that the CBD yield is lower than expected. Genetic stability is to avoid this kind of problem.
• THC level: In 2023 the THC percentage allowed in the EU for growing hemp plants is 0.3 percent. Adult plants will have to adhere to this level, and as reiterated in the previous point, the only way to be certain is to rely on certified hemp seeds.
• Germination rate: the quality criterion that guarantees on the final seed yield. To be certified, a hemp seed must have a germination rate of at least 80 percent.
• Seed quality and traceability: seed is the key to healthy and profitable cultivation. Buying and planting seeds of dubious origin is not a good practice. Certified seeds are fully traceable and the entire production chain for them is properly and scrupulously documented.