'Hempeu Regulatory Free Zone' Andong City Strengthens Cannabis Cultivation Site Inspections

Inspection scene of hemp cultivation sites in Andong City.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-ho] Andong City, Gyeongbuk Province, announced on the 22nd that it is strengthening surveillance and monitoring tasks for the safe management of hemp as hemp cultivation areas have expanded since being designated as a 'HEMP Regulatory Free Zone' last year.

From May to November this year, intensive inspections will be conducted on illegal outflow and unauthorized harvesting of hemp in cultivation areas spanning 85 farms and 205 plots (46 hectares) across 18 eup, myeon, and dong districts.

The inspections will be carried out under a system where public officials are assigned to each eup, myeon, and dong. Andong City plans to prevent illegal activities in advance through systematic and continuous monitoring, including ▲ surveillance of planned cultivation sites ▲ general on-site monitoring during the growing period and special inspections during the harvest period (using drones) ▲ cooperative response among related departments.

According to Article 36, Paragraph 2 of the 'Narcotics Control Act,' hemp cultivators must dispose of leaves by methods that prevent outflow, such as incineration or burial. Article 3, Item 10 prohibits smoking or ingesting the shells of hemp seeds.

No one is allowed to possess, sell, or broker hemp, hemp seeds, or seed shells for the purpose of smoking or ingestion, and when disposing of hemp seed shells, they must be incinerated or buried. They cannot be supplied as animal feed either. Violations of these regulations are punishable by imprisonment of up to five years or fines of up to 50 million won.

Meanwhile, Andong City received designation as a hemp regulatory free zone from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups at the end of June last year, marking the first time in Korea to establish a foundation for hemp industrialization. The industrial hemp regulatory free zone is significant as it opens the door to bio-industrialization using hemp, which had been regulated under the Narcotics Control Act for over 70 years.

Hemp is a low-psychoactive variety group with THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) content below 0.3%, and overseas it is used as a raw material for medical hemp products.