G/TBT/N/LTU/47  
21 July 2022  
(22-5527) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  LITHUANIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilniaus str. 33, LT -01506 Vilnius, 
Lithuania, tel. +370 5 2661402, e -mail ministerija@sam.lt , https://sam.lrv.lt/ en/ 
Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, Gedimino ave. 19, LT -01103 Vilnius, 
Lithuania, tel. +370 5 239 11 11, e -mail zum@zum.lt , https://zum.lrv.lt/en/  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
National WTO TBT Enquiry point  
Lithuanian Standards Board Algirdo street 31, 03219 Vilnius, Lithuania Telephone: (+370) 
5 279 1152; mobile: (+370) 6 58 60308 E -mail: aurelija.jeleniauskaite@lsd.lt , 
greta.osinovskiene@lsd.lt  (cc: enquiry@lsd.lt ) 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Animal 
feeding stuffs (ICS code(s): 65.120); Tobacco, tobacco products and related equipment 
(ICS code(s): 65.160); FOOD TECHNOLOGY (ICS code(s): 67)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft order of 
the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Agriculture of the 
Republic of Lithuania "On the approval of the List of maximum permitted levels o f 
tetrahydrocannabinol in hemp products or categories thereof, intended for final 
consumption" (3 pages, in Lithuanian).  
6. Description of content:  The Draft order aims to establish safe, non -hazardous for 
human and animal health maximum permitted levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (hereinafter 
- THC) in specific hemp products or categories thereof, intended for final consumption, in 
accordance with Article 4 (4) of the Law on Hemp of the Republic of Lithuania.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature  of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Article 4 (4) of the Law on Hemp of the Republic of Lithuania stipulates that 
the level of THC in hemp products should not exceed the permitted limit of 0.2 percent. 
The List of maximum permitted levels of THC in hemp products or categories thereof, 
intended for final consumption, adopted by the Minister of Health and the Minister of 
Agriculture, may set lower maximum permitted levels of THC. The maximum permitted 
THC levels are being set taking into account the risk an d possible harmful effects on 
human or animal health, not exceeding the maximum permitted THC levels recommended 
by the European Food Safety Authority (hereinafter - the EFSA).  G/TBT/N/LTU/47  
 
- 2 - 
 
  1. The Draft order proposes the regulation of the maximum permitted levels of THC in 
hemp seeds, hemp seed derived products and foodstuffs, listed in the table, attached to 
the Draft order (proposed maximum permitted levels are lower than regulated in Article 
4 (4) of the Law on Hemp).  
On 7 January 2020, the EFSA published  a scientific report assessing acute human 
exposure to Δ9-THC ( https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5953 ). Taking into account the 
evaluations of the EFSA, maximum permitted levels of THC in hemp seeds, hemp seed 
derived products and foodstuffs proposed in the Draft order are safe and do not pose a 
threat to human health. Since delta -9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA) can be 
converted into Δ9-THC through processing, the maximum levels should b e set for the sum 
of Δ9‐THC and Δ9-THCA, expressed in Δ9‐THC equivalents.  
2. The Draft order proposes the regulation of the maximum permitted levels of THC in 
animal feeding stuffs, listed in the table, attached to the Draft order (proposed maximum 
permitt ed levels are lower than regulated in Article 4 (4) of the Law on Hemp). Taking 
into account the evaluations of the EFSA, maximum permitted levels of THC in animal 
feeding stuffs proposed in the Draft order are safe and do not pose a threat to human 
and an imal health. It should be noted that such maximum permitted levels of THC in 
animal feeding stuffs are discussed by the European Commission Working Group on 
Undesirable Substances in Animal Feed.  
3. The draft order proposes the regulation of the maximum al lowed levels of THC in 
tobacco products (including novel tobacco products) and tobacco related products 
(electronic cigarettes and their refill containers with and without nicotine, herbal products 
for smoking) (it is proposed to apply zero -tolerance of TH C in these products while 
applying appropriate  limit of qualitative and quantitative laboratory determination). Such 
proposed regulation of THC in the mentioned products is based on:  
- recommendation of the World Health Organization provided in the WHO study group on 
tobacco product regulation: Report on the scientific basis of tobacco product regulation: 
eighth report of a WHO study group  (p. 313) " to prohibit the addition of pharmacolog ically 
active substances such as cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol (in jurisdictions where they 
are legal), other than nicotine in electronic nicotine delivery systems, to electronic nicotine 
delivery systems and electronic non -nicotine delivery systems ". This recommendation 
could be similarly applied to tobacco products and tobacco related products.  
- evaluation of the information officially published by the US authorities (the Center for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administr ation (FDA), the 
Canadian Public Health Agency and the Belgian  Federal Public Service  Health , Food Chain 
Safety  and Environment  on lung diseases and deaths caused by the use of e -cigarettes 
containing THC in liquid (after evaluating the statistics on lung injuries and deaths caused 
by e-cigarette use, the CDC, together with the FDA, recommends do not use e -cigarettes 
that contain THC, and emphasizes that the use of such e -cigarettes can cause serious 
lung damage and other negative health consequences 
(https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer -updates/vaping -illness -update -fda-warns -
public -stop-using -tetrahyd rocannabinol -thc-containing -vaping ; 
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e -cigarettes/severe -lung-
disease.html ); 
- the aim to protect public health  and consumer safety, especially paying attention to the 
potential risk to the health and safety of young people.  
To enable economic operators to prepare for the new rules introduced by the Draft order, 
it is appropriate to provide for a reasonable time un til the maximum levels apply. It shall 
apply from 1 January 2023.  
8. Relevant documents:   
Draft order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of 
Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania "On the approval of the List of maximum permitted 
levels of tetrahydrocannabinol in hemp products or categories thereof, intended for final 
consumption" (3 pages, in Lithuanian).  G/TBT/N/LTU/47  
 
- 3 - 
 
  9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 January 2023  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 January 2023  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
National WTO TBT Enquiry point  
Lithuanian Standards Board Algirdo street 31, 03219 Vilnius, Lithuania Telephone: (+370) 
5 279 1152; mobile: (+370) 6 58 60308 E -mail: aurelija.jeleniauskaite@lsd.lt , 
greta.osinovskiene@lsd.lt  (cc: enquiry@lsd.lt )