Advances in the cultivation of non-psychoactive Cannabis in Ecuador

 

Photo taken by Paulina Avilés at INIAP Smart Greenhouse, March 2024

I am Paulina Avilés, a student of agricultural sciences, I want to share with you the advances in our country regarding the cultivation of non-psychoactive cannabis.

In Ecuador, the Penal Code has been reformed, which opens the door to developing access to cannabis for therapeutic and medicinal purposes.

The cultivation of Cannabis sativa L. has gained interest worldwide for its economic and therapeutic potential. According to the Cannamerica group and figures from the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, and Fisheries, this industry is booming. As of October 2022, 150 producers have been registered; Companies such as Hemp Ecuador Labs, Cann Andes, and Bionoid have invested around 55 million dollars in research, sowing, and production. As a nascent industry, one of the biggest challenges is exporting to countries such as Canada, the United States, and New Zealand.

In February 2021, the seven licenses granted by the Ministry of Agriculture to work in this innovative industry were issued for the first time. These licenses allow the import and sale of seeds and cuttings, the production of non-psychoactive cannabis and industrial hemp, plant breeding, and germplasm banks, the production and processing of derivatives, and the marketing and export of cannabis

It is important to note that licensed companies that allow them to grow non-psychoactive cannabis are constantly supervised by Agrocalidad, the entity officially in charge.

The information was obtained from different official pages of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrocalidad: https://www.agricultura.gob.ec/canamo/