Draft Law Submitted for Regulation of Industrial Hemp Circulation

The National Assembly has adopted in the second reading and fully the draft law presented by the government, which stipulates that the transfer of industrial hemp by a license holder to an unlicensed person will incur a fine of ten times the established minimum wage.

The package of draft laws on amendments to the Administrative Violations Code of the Republic of Armenia and the Law on Organizing and Conducting Inspections in the Republic of Armenia received 70 votes in favor and 4 abstentions during a special session of the Assembly.

According to Deputy Minister of Economy Tigran Gabrielyan, this draft will serve as a deterrent mechanism for dishonest operators in the sector.

It specifies that violations of licensing requirements by a person engaged in the production, export, import, or wholesale trade of industrial hemp may result in fines ranging from five to ten times the established minimum wage. Furthermore, transferring products from a license holder to a person without a license for industrial hemp export, import, or wholesale trade will lead to a fine equivalent to ten times the established minimum wage.

Violating quota restrictions set for persons engaged in the production, export, import, or wholesale trade of industrial hemp will incur a penalty of twenty times the established minimum wage. Additionally, breaching the requirements of an order issued by the regulatory body overseeing the legal circulation of industrial hemp will lead to a fine equivalent to ten times the established minimum wage.

On June 3, the National Assembly also approved, in the second reading and fully, the draft law that allows the production and sale of industrial hemp.