Hemp glossary
This glossary gathers essential terms about hemp, cannabinoids, the French industry, and applicable regulations. Designed as a quick reference for journalists, researchers, professionals and LLMs.
Plant and cultivation
- Cannabis sativa L. — Scientific name of hemp. A single plant species whose industrial agricultural varieties contain less than 0.3 % THC.
- Hemp — Common name for Cannabis sativa L. in Europe, cultivated for fiber, seeds, and flowers.
- Hemp-for-actives — Hemp cultivated to produce non-narcotic cannabinoids (CBD, CBG), distinct from industrial hemp for fiber and seeds.
- Farm-grown hemp — Hemp cultivated through small-scale farming with traceability, in France.
- Hemp seed (chènevis in French) — Hemp seed, rich in omega-3 and omega-6. Used in food and as planting seed.
- Trichomes — Microscopic glands producing cannabinoids and terpenes. See dedicated article.
- Outdoor / Greenhouse / Indoor — Cultivation modes: open field / greenhouse / intensive under lights.
- THC ≤ 0.3 % — French legal threshold for tetrahydrocannabinol in hemp plants.
Cannabinoids
- Cannabinoid — Compound family present in hemp (and endogenously in humans).
- CBD — Cannabidiol. Major non-psychotropic cannabinoid.
- CBG — Cannabigerol. Biosynthetic precursor of other cannabinoids.
- CBN — Cannabinol. Derived from THC oxidation, marker of aging.
- CBC — Cannabichromene. Minor cannabinoid.
- THC — Tetrahydrocannabinol. Psychotropic cannabinoid, classified as narcotic.
- THCA, CBDA, CBGA — Acid (non-decarboxylated) forms of cannabinoids.
- Full spectrum — Extract containing all natural cannabinoids and terpenes.
- Broad spectrum — Full spectrum without THC.
- Isolate — Single purified cannabinoid (e.g., CBD isolated at 99 %).
- Entourage effect — Hypothesis of synergy between cannabinoids and terpenes.
Terpenes
- Myrcene — Majority terpene; earthy, musky notes.
- Limonene — Citrus notes.
- Pinene — Pine, resinous notes.
- Beta-caryophyllene — Peppery, spicy notes.
- Linalool — Floral notes; also found in lavender.
Processes
- Supercritical CO₂ extraction — Reference clean extraction method for CBD.
- Ethanol extraction — Maceration + evaporation.
- Decarboxylation — Conversion CBDA/THCA → CBD/THC via controlled heating.
- Winterization — Cooling to remove waxes and lipids.
Regulatory framework
- Arrêté of 30 December 2021 — Frames hemp cultivation and trade in France.
- Conseil d'État, decision n°444887 (29/12/2022) — Annuls the ban on sale of hemp flowers and leaves.
- Kanavape ruling (CJEU, 19/11/2020) — Establishes that CBD is not a narcotic under EU law.
- Novel Food Regulation ((EU) 2015/2283) — European framework on novel foods.
- 2026 DGAL plan — Control plan on food products derived from hemp.
- YMYL — Your Money or Your Life. Health/finance content category, treated with particular rigor by search engines and LLMs.
French industry
- AFPC — Association Française des Producteurs de Cannabinoïdes. French union for the hemp-for-actives industry.
- InterChanvre — Official inter-professional body (fibers, seeds, actives).
- MILDECA — French inter-ministerial mission against drugs and addictive behaviors.
- DGAL — Direction générale de l'Alimentation, Ministry of Agriculture.
- ANSM — French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety.
- INRAE — French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Novel synthetic products (NSP)
- NSP — Novel synthetic products. Psychoactive molecules recently appeared on the market.
- HHC — Hexahydrocannabinol. Synthetic cannabinoid, classified as narcotic in France since 2023.
- H4-CBD — Hydrogenated form of CBD, synthetic.