Hemp, attracting attention as a high-value material in the natural products industry, offers vast potential for applications such as new drug development. However, in Korea it is regulated as a controlled substance, and its application to agricultural technology, pharmaceutical development, and the food industry remains limited. Discussions within the domestic pharmaceutical community on using hemp's active components for medical purposes have now begun in earnest.

The Korean Medical Hemp Research Association (President Shim Hyun-ju, a professor at JBNU School of Pharmacy), launched late last year, held its spring symposium on the 17th at Jeonbuk National University (JBNU)’s Jinsudang to explore proposals for regulatory easing and research into uses of medical hemp.

In addition to a JBNU research team, the spring symposium was attended by many institutions, including the Korean Medicine Research Institute, the Biotechnology Research Institute located in Jeongeup, the Safety Evaluation Research Institute, the Advanced Radiation Research Institute of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, and iCure located in Wanju.
 
Recently, the academic community has emphasized the need to stimulate research on the active components of hemp, which are drawing attention as high-value materials in the natural products industry, and to review related regulations. In particular, JBNU School of Pharmacy, centered on its New Drug Development Research Institute (Director Jeong Jae-hoon), is seeking directions for the industrialization of medical hemp.

At the symposium, a policy proposal was made to ease regulations on Cannabinoid (CBD), a representative component of medical hemp. Professor Kim Mun-nyeon (Keimyung University School of Pharmacy), who has advocated the need to legalize CBD, presented on the topic "Problems and Improvement Directions of Korean Hemp-Related Laws—Legalization of CBD," arguing that the regulatory focus on hemp should shift from restriction to pharmacological activity.

Professor Kim argued that, to change negative perceptions of hemp, the term "marijuana" should be replaced with "hemp plant," that THC content of 0.3% or less should be managed under agricultural regulations, and that a special medical hemp law should be enacted to strictly control and manage THC content above that threshold as a narcotic.

Next, Director Lee Gyu-hong (Safety Evaluation Research Institute) presented research cases on the efficacy of CBD, one of hemp's components, citing evidence that this component is effective against respiratory damage caused by fine dust.

Professor Jeong Jae-hoon (School of Pharmacy, JBNU) presented international industrialization trends and country-specific cases regarding the CBD policy. Experts then offered recommendations for the domestic industrialization and activation of medical hemp.

Shim Hyun-ju, professor at JBNU School of Pharmacy and president of the Korean Medical Hemp Research Association, said, "Given that CBD components of hemp are already being commercialized in diverse and rapid ways worldwide, it is time for us to determine when and how to lift regulations and transition to industrialization." She added, "Starting with this forum, we plan to initiate policy proposals requesting that regulations on CBD, among medical hemp components, be eased first."