A recent change in governmental policy has the potential to transform both the international medical cannabis industry and a South American country well-poised to supply it. In July, the government of Colombia enacted a new law that authorizes exports of dried cannabis flower as a finished commercial product for medical use, a move expected to further stimulate the country’s ability to supply the legal cannabis marketplace. Previously, the law had only allowed the export of extracts, but the new decree also enables the production of dried cannabis flower and related goods, such as oils, creams, textiles, or food containing non-psychoactive cannabis. Colombia legalized the production of medical cannabis in 2016 and has in recent years taken substantial steps to establish an infrastructure for producing, distributing and exporting cannabis seeds and derivatives. Now, the new directive that authorizes the most popular form of cannabis should take the country’s nascent medicinal cannabis industry to new heights. As evidenced by its longstanding presence as the leading exporter of cut flowers to the U.S., Colombia has a highly developed agricultural ecosystem. With low-cost but highly skilled labor, Colombia should be a prime resource for any organization seeking to expand the production and sale of medicinal cannabis. Plus, an average of 12 hours of sunlight year-round makes Colombia’s climate conducive to as many as four high-yield harvests annually.
Ricardo Pedroza, Cannabis Business Times, 11/19/2021 10:57:00