Hemp farmer arrested for growing cannabis

A licenced hemp farmer in Limassol has been arrested for growing 120 cannabis plants in violation of industrial hemp regulations.

Police raided a hemp farm in Pelendri, Limassol district, after receiving information on Monday about a possible drug law violation and placing the farm under surveillance.

During the raid, officers were shocked to find over a hundred kilos of cannabis stored in three separate storage facilities on the premises, with police suspecting the plants are in direct violation of the grower’s permit which had been obtained two years ago.

Authorities then arrested to suspects, a 32-year-old man who owns the hemp farm in Pelendri and another 36-year-old man, both from Dromolaxia, Larnaca district. A 40-year-old suspect is wanted by police in connection with the case.

The suspects made some statements to the arresting officers, which are being investigated, while they were set to appear before a Limassol District Court for the remand hearing. 

Cops were said to be guarding the storage facilities on the farm while the area is being affected by poor weather conditions.

Legal hemp looks and smells exactly like marijuana, as both are cannabis. But hemp has lower concentrations of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and higher concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD), which decreases or eliminates its psychoactive effect.

Lab tests are expected to show whether the plants in Pelendri were in violation of drug laws or grown within the hemp farmer’s legal rights.

Critics around the globe argue that innocent people are being arrested as hemp can be used legally in a variety of products, including CBD oil to treat a variety of ailments. But authorities and even police canines cannot easily differentiate legal from illegal cannabis, often prompting officials to take matters to a court of law.