While recreational cannabis may still be illegal in the North African country of Morocco, the nation is kicking off a new era of legal cannabis cultivation and export. As the third month of 2024 comes to a close, the country has shared data about its first legal harvest season in 2023.

According to Morocco’s cannabis regulators, National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC), the country’s first legal harvest in 2023 was 294 metric tons. It involved 32 cooperatives comprising 430 farms spanning 277 hectares in the northern Rif Mountains of Al Houceima, Taounat and Chefchaouen, according to ANRAC.

First reported by Reuters, the United Nations drugs agency also noted that approximately 47 hectares of the Rif Mountains are dedicated to cannabis output. However, that’s only about a third of the amount Morocco had in 2003 due to government crackdowns on illicit operations. 

The region has long been used for cannabis cultivation, where farmers have long used the crop to support their villages.

Morocco Embraces a New Era of Cannabis

The country legalized cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial use in 2021, with the government citing opportunities to boost revenue, create jobs and protect the environment as Morocco pressed forward with the new chapter. The country has been a long-time producer of illicit hashish, but with the highly anticipated opening of the European cannabis market, the hope is that it will soon be a key supplier to its northern neighbor’s blossoming industry.

ANRAC was then created in 2022, made to oversee the entire cannabis system involving growers, cultivators and processors while authorizing and certifying all cannabis cultivation and exportation activities.

Morocco’s first growing season began in June 2023. According to a Morocco World News report, importing seeds for cultivation generally begins in April, though indigenous varieties like the Moroccan landrace Beldia are sown in February — a testament to the country’s commitment to preserving its cannabis history while still catering to the emerging legal market.

The outlet also noted that Morocco granted 609 authorizations last year in its ongoing effort to formalize the new sector, alongside the certification of 2.1 million cannabis seeds in 2023.

Currently, two legal cannabis transformation units are operating with two others waiting for equipment. According to ANRAC, 15 cannabis products are currently in the process of being authorized for medical use. Thinking beyond its own borders, Morocco also awarded 54 export permits in 2023.

Examining the Past to Plan for the Future

Moving ahead, ANRAC is examining applications by 1,500 farmers organized into 130 cooperatives, and cultivation for Beldia has already begun. Cultivation for recreational use is still illegal, though it’s generally tolerated — especially in northern Morocco, where cannabis cultivation has stood as one of the primary economic activities in the region.

The legislation was created with this history in mind, in an attempt to improve the incomes of farmers while protecting them from drug traffickers who widely dominate the illicit trade and export of cannabis. While some farmers have embraced the change, others are more resistant and remain loyal to the members of the illicit drug trade who helped them to retain a steady income in past years.

It reflects a broader resistance to the change in the Rif region, given its rich cannabis-specific history, and it may take longer than just a couple years to get everyone on board.

“Cannabis has been in place in the region for centuries, and changing it from one day to the next is going to create resistance,” Khalid Mouna, a professor at Moulay Ismail University who studies Morocco’s cannabis economy, told Bloomberg last year.

While there are certain barriers for farmers, like upfront costs, administrative hurdles and challenging quality standards for small businesses and cultivators, Morocco has its fair share of advantages. Hanway Associates Co-Founder Alastair Moore told Bloomberg that Morocco already has an established cannabis reputation, potentially giving its products a built-in “stamp of legitimacy” as they are exported to new markets.

Still, experts like Moore argue that it’s unlikely Morocco will reach its full potential so long as cultivation is limited to medical and industrial markets.

“The real opportunity for Morocco in the long term is going to be in recreational because that’s where their brand is,” Moore said.

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A cannabis company with operations based in Jamaica announced this week that it has successfully exported cannabis-derived THC products to the United States, where they will be tested at a facility licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The company, Pure Jamaican and its GMP-certified, licensed pharma manufacturer Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals, said the shipment marks the first legal export of THC to the United States from Jamaica in a move that elevates the Caribbean island nation’s role in the global cannabis supply chain.

Jamaica legalized the commercial export of cannabis for medical, scientific and therapeutic purposes in 2015, although government regulations for exporting medical marijuana products were not approved until 2021. Pure Jamaican plans to take advantage of the opportunity by legally exporting proprietary pharmaceutical products with cannabis-derived THC, hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids to the United States, Brazil and other major markets around the world.

Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness granted permission for Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals to export cannabis-derived THC products to the United States, while the DEA issued corresponding import permits. The company then shipped the products to a DEA-licensed facility where analytic testing was successfully completed. Scott Cathcart, CEO of Pure Jamaican and Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals, said the milestone “is a proud moment for Jamaica and for our group of companies.” 

“Jamaica has long been associated with ‘ganja’ but never before in this context as a producer and legal exporter of THC as a pharmaceutical-grade medicine,” Cathcart said in a statement from the company. “As the only company in Jamaica licensed for pharmaceutical manufacturing of cannabinoids, we are proud to be leading the way to elevating the role of Jamaica in the global cannabis ecosystem.”

Shipment Comes As DEA Ponders Rescheduling

The first legal export of cannabis from Jamaica to the U.S. comes as the DEA is considering a proposal to relax restrictions on marijuana under federal law. Last summer, Rachel Levine, the Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), wrote a letter to DEA head Anne Milgram recommending that cannabis be removed from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. 

The recommendation was issued following an executive order from President Joseph Biden in October 2022 that directed the heads of the Department of Justice and HHS to review the classification of marijuana under federal law. Under the HHS recommendation, which was issued after a review of the available medical and scientific evidence, cannabis would be rescheduled under Schedule III of the CSA, a less restrictive classification than Schedule I that would ease cannabis research and likely lead to the approval of cannabis pharmaceuticals.

If the DEA approves the rescheduling, Seven-10 intends to request DEA permits to ship Pure Jamaican pharmaceutical THC products from Jamaica to patients in the US. Such shipments would be made to patients with a valid prescription and would comply with all relevant regulations from the DEA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as state pharmacy distribution regulations.

Shullette Cox, the president of Jamaica Promotions Corp. (JAMPRO), a trade and investment promotions corporation representing the Government of Jamaica, said that “the growth of the cannabis industry for medicinal purposes has been a priority of the government of Jamaica and particularly, the export of value-added products from Jamaica. The success of Pure Jamaican and Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals is applauded as JAMPRO continues to facilitate the local medicinal cannabis industry and ensuring its role in driving the growth of exports.”

Seven-10 has already begun shipping medicinal cannabis formulations to patients in Brazil, where regulations allowing pharmacy sales of such products went into effect in 2019. Prime Jamaica noted that together, the U.S. and Brazil comprise a market totaling more than 500 million people.

“This is a labor of love and not easy,” said Dr. Ellen Campbell Grizzle, chief regulatory and compliance officer of Pure Jamaican and Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals. “Jamaica has 52 percent of the world’s medicinal plants in our small island nation, and we are very proud to be exploring ways to identify new botanical medicines to bring health, wellness, new exports and economic growth to our country.”

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Morocco made history this week, as it broke ground on what will be the North African country’s first lab for medical and industrial cannabis. 

According to Morocco World News, “Bio Cannat, the first Moroccan cooperative authorized to market and export cannabis and its products for industrial and medical use, launched last week the construction work for its first laboratory.”

The outlet has more details on the historic construction project:

“In a statement on Sunday, the cooperation stressed that it had obtained authorization as part of the ten permits delivered by the National Agency for Activities Related to Cannabis in October 2022. The lab, which is now being built in the Chefchaouen region, is considered the first unit at the national. The cannabis produced by the lab will be used in many industries, including food, industrial, medical, and paramedical sectors.”

Morocco has long been known as the largest cannabis producer in the world –– a distinction that was confirmed last year by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

But it was not until 2021 that the Moroccan government brought its official policy in line with that output. 

That year, the country adopted a “law authorizing the therapeutic use of cannabis, a major reform for this North African country considered as one of the first producers of hashish in the world,” according to Africa News. 

“The legal use implies means (sic) it can only be used in medicine, cosmetics and even for industrial purposes,” the outlet explained at the time. “The law was adopted by the House of Representatives with 119 votes in support and 48 against. Recreational use remains prohibited and subject to prosecution.”

Last fall, Morocco’s National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities (ANRAC), an agency that was created to oversee the newly established legal cannabis industry, issued the first 10 cannabis cultivation and production permits.

The permits enable farmers to grow and process cannabis through a constellation of agricultural collectives that will be under strict government supervision and regulation. ANRAC also gave the go-ahead for certain companies to market and export marijuana.  

Bio Cannat was a recipient of one of those 10 permits. The coop said in a statement that the new lab will include “agricultural experiments with some of the farmers in the Chefchaouen region, who are involved in agricultural cooperatives to provide the raw material after providing the seeds intended for this purpose,” as quoted by Morocco World News.

Moroccan authorities continue to crack down on illicit cannabis cultivation and trafficking. 

In December, the country’s General Directorate of National Security announced a major drug bust, saying that law enforcement officials had confiscated more than two tons of cannabis.

The agency explained that a “joint security operation between the judicial police and the interests of the General Directorate of National Territorial Surveillance … resulted in the abortion of an attempt to smuggle international goods of two tons and 120 kilograms of shira, and the seizure of an inflatable boat and equipment used in maritime navigation.”

The Morocco World News reported last year that law enforcement there has “been intensifying its efforts against drug trafficking.”

“Last year, Moroccan police handled 82,950 cases related to the possession and trafficking of drugs. Security services sent 103,589 people to court, including 261 foreigners,” the outlet reported at the time. “During the same year, police seized 191 tonnes and 158 kilograms of cannabis, which is one of the most common drugs in Morocco. The amount of cannabis seized in 2021, represents a decrease of 12% compared to 2020.”

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The marijuana trade is thriving in Colombia. The South American country announced last month that its cannabis exports increased 96% between November 2022 and January.

“The amount was US$8.4 million, thanks to the sales of 13 companies from five departments to 14 countries. Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Switzerland, Israel, the United States and Germany were the main buyers,” ProColombia, a government agency overseeing exports and tourism, said in an analysis released on January 26.

Carmen Caballero, the president of ProColombia, said that “58% of these exports were destined for Latin America and the Caribbean.”

“It is a sector that has significant potential in generating quality employment, especially for women, in different regions of the country. Likewise, cannabis value-added goods have stood out for their quality and innovation,” Caballero said.

The agency said that the $8.4 million worth of exports came from the following regions in Colombia: Bogotá (48%), Cundinamarca (30%), Antioquia (12%), Santander (8%) and Magdalena (2%).

In addition, ProColombia noted that “nine of the 51 participating companies are located in eight municipalities [Nemocón, Cajicá, Rionegro, Ubaté, Pitalito, Mosquera, Tocancipá and Pasca] with less than 200,000 inhabitants, which is part of the Government’s strategy to generate development by strengthening the business fabric in the regions.” 

“Likewise, last year, more than 90% of Colombian cannabis exports originated from the departments of Bogotá, Cundinamarca and Antioquia; however, 12 departments are identified (Antioquia – Bolívar – Boyacá – Cauca – Cundinamarca – Huila – Magdalena – Meta – Risaralda – Santander – Tolima – Valle del Cauca) with high export potential for this type of product,” the analysis said.

The cannabis was produced by 13 countries, according to ProColombia, with the exports reaching a total of 14 countries, including: Argentina (40%), Brazil (14%), Australia (12%), Switzerland (7%), Israel (6.5%), the United States (6%) and Germany (5.5%).

According to the agency, the “most sought-after goods abroad were extracts, medicines and seeds.”

“It is worth noting that in November 2022 the second Medicinal and Industrial Cannabis Business Roundtable was held, organized by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and ProColombia, with the support of Asocolcanna. At the meeting, 250 business appointments were held with 21 international buyers from 10 countries and 51 small and medium-sized companies, with a Colombian offer that ranges from extracts to finished pharmaceutical or cosmetic products,” the agency said last month.

With its warm and hospitable climate, Colombia is bullish on the long term prospects of its cannabis cultivation. 

“The country has a stable regulatory framework and is one of the most complete internationally, since it includes measures ranging from seed, cultivation, transformation, generation of added value and safe access by patients,” the agency said in the analysis last month, noting that the “environmental and geographical conditions of Colombia allow it to have 4 harvests a year in three different cultivation modalities (open sky, open sky with semi-automatic irrigation and indoor with light and irrigation)” and that “the country’s geographical position allows it to have 12 hours of solar radiation during the 365 days of the year, thus maximizing crop yields and reducing production costs.”

“Likewise, it is an industry that enables the scientific and technological development of Colombia, intensive in R+D+i, which allows the development of research centers,” ProColombia added. “It is also added that Colombia has a wide range of products: seeds, crude extracts, distillates, isolates, finished products such as phytotherapeutics and cosmetics. All this, complying with high quality standards, which enables insertion into global value chains.”

In December, members of the Colombian senate passed an amendment legalizing cannabis.

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History was made in Greece with the country inaugurating its first ever medical cannabis plant last Thursday.

According to the Greek Reporter, the plant, which opened in the city of Corinth, is backed by an investment from Tikun Europe, a subsidiary of Israel-based medical cannabis company Tikun Olam.

Adonis Georgiadis, Greece’s minister for development and investments, heralded the opening of the plant as a milestone for the country.

Speaking at an event for the opening of the Tikun plant on Thursday, Georgiadis said that cannabis could be “a product which we will be able to export throughout Europe because this factory can carry out huge exports to all major European countries,” as quoted by the Greek Reporter.

According to the outlet, Tikun Europe CEO Nikos Beis hailed the new facility in Greece as “the largest pharmaceutical facility in the industry in Europe.”

“A new era is beginning for our country with the operation of our Tikun Europe facility, paving the way for Greece to become one of the main players in the field of production and export of medical cannabis products,” Beis said, as quoted by the Greek Reporter.

Greece legalized medical cannabis back in 2017, but the country’s government banned the import of such products in 2021, which effectively made it impossible for Greek patients to receive the cannabis treatment due to the lack of domestic production 

But that appears to be changing.

The country said last year that cannabis would soon be sold in pharmacies throughout Greece.

“The goal is for Greece to become the top European country in the production of medical cannabis. Greece’s environment is friendly for this particular plant and we think we will have a natural advantage,” Georgiadis told the Greek Reporter last year, which said that “foreigners will also be able to use medical cannabis in Greece” and will “be allowed to purchase it through pharmacies” so long as they have a prescription from their doctor.

The outlet reported at the time that Georgiadis anticipated “huge investments in the production of medical cannabis which the government hopes would add up to 1.5 billion euros ($1.67 billion) annually to state revenue.” 

The Greek Reporter has more on the facility:

“According to Tikun Europe, the plant can produce finished medicinal cannabis products in various pharmaceutical forms. The company aims in the immediate initiation of cultivation in the vertically integrated greenhouse unit, with an area of 21,000 m2 and an annual production capacity, reaching in full growth, the quantity of 10 tons of dry flower. The plants received will be used for propagation under strict protocols that will ensure the preservation of the unique characteristics of the mother plants to future generations. The facility is expected to reach its full capacity levels gradually in the near future, to deliver a wide variety of finished medical cannabis dosage forms.”

Tikun received its license to initiate operations on the facility last year. 

“It was a great pleasure to welcome the operating [license] of our production unit, the construction of which was recently completed,” Beis said in a statement at the time. “The operation of the plant will start very soon, bringing us one step closer to the [realization] of our vision: to meet the ever-increasing demand of Greece and Europe for high-quality medical cannabis products. Our factory is the largest pharmaceutical company in the specific industry in Europe and exploits the potential of our country to play a leading role in the global market for medical cannabis.”

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Argentina officially launched a new government agency on Wednesday as part of an effort to bolster the country’s medical marijuana and hemp industry. 

Reuters reports that the agency, known as the Regulatory Agency for the Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Industry, or ARICCAME, represents “the first working group of a new national agency to regularize and promote the country’s nascent cannabis industry, which ministers hope will create new jobs and exports generating fresh income for the South American nation.” 

“This opens the door for Argentina to start a new path in terms of industrial exports, on the basis of huge global demand,” said Argentina’s economy minister Sergio Massa at an event marking the launch of the new agency.

According to Reuters, “Massa said that the agency would from Thursday begin regularizing programs and coordinating with various provinces and [the] industrial sector, adding Argentina already counted on demand for projects linked to the agro-industrial sector.”

On the official website for ARICCAME, the agency outlines its mission and objectives.

“We are the Agency that regulates the import, export, cultivation, industrial production, manufacture, commercialization and acquisition, by any title, of seeds of the cannabis plant, cannabis and its derivative products for medicinal or industrial purposes,” the website reads, via an English translation. 

The website lists the following “general objectives” for the agency: “Establish through the respective regulations, the regulatory framework for the entire production chain and national marketing and/or export of the Cannabis Sativa L. plant, seeds and derivatives for use in favor of health and industrial hemp; Promote a new agro-industrial productive sector for the commercial manufacture of medicines, phytotherapeutics, food and cosmetics for human use, medicines and food for veterinary use, as well as the different products made possible by industrial hemp; Generate the framework for the adaptation to the regulatory regime, of the cultivation and production of cannabis derivatives for use in existing health, guaranteeing the traceability and quality of the products in order to safeguard the right to health of the users of medical cannabis; Reintroduce hemp in Argentina and all its derivatives: food, construction materials, textile fiber, cellulose and bioplastics with low environmental impact; [and] Promote scientific research and sectoral technological progress, promoting favorable conditions for these existing industries in our country.”

ARICCAME’s specific objectives include: “Establish clear rules that provide legal certainty to the sector and encourage federal participation; Articulate through agreements and conventions with other State entities with intervention in the matter: INASE, SENASA, INTA, INTI, AFIP, INAES, BCRA, UIF, National Universities, etc; Determine the system of licenses and administrative authorizations for the productive chain; Generate quality standards that safeguard the right to health of users and consumers of cannabis/hemp products; [and] Control non-compliance with the regulatory regime.”

Argentine policymakers legalized cannabis oil for medical use in 2017. Three years later, the country legalized home cannabis cultivation for medical marijuana patients. 

The launch of the new agency is part of a border effort by the Argentine government to continue to reform the medical cannabis program, something that the South American country identified as a priority last year. 

According to Reuters, the newly launched agency will be helmed by Francisco Echarren, who “said the industry could generate thousands of new jobs, as well as create technological developments and new products for export.”

“We have a huge challenge ahead of us,” Echarren said, as quoted by Reuters, “not only getting a new industry on its feet, but giving millions of Argentines access to products that improve quality of life.”

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A legislator in Colombia, Liberal Rep. Carlos Ardila, proposed a cannabis bill that passed in the First Commission of the House of Representatives on Oct. 4. “With 31 votes in favor and 2 against, the #FirstCommission of @CamaraColombia approved, in the first debate, our draft legislative act to regulate cannabis and guarantee tax revenue for municipalities, districts and departments. #OpportunityForTheRegions #RegulateNow,” Ardila wrote on Twitter.

“The bill would establish regulations and taxes for legal cannabis sales, and set up a support system for revenue to be shared among local cities as well as health, education and agriculture. If passed into law, it would amend Article 49 of the Constitution, which is necessary, in terms of cannabis, almost the first step that must be taken, because the political prohibition is consigned there,” Liberal Rep. Juan Carlos Losada told RCN Radio.

Article 49 gives all citizens the right to health care, which it is the responsibility of the government to organize. “Public health and environmental protection are public services for which the State is responsible. All individuals are guaranteed access to services that promote, protect, and restore health,” the constitution states. However, it does also add that “the possession and the consumption of narcotic and psychoactive drugs is prohibited, except for medical prescription.”

According to Ardila, adult-use cannabis taxes would have constitutional protection, and “should be allocated exclusively to municipalities, districts and departments.”

In reference to the three pillars of support, health, education and agriculture, Ardila would see cannabis tax funds support the country’s people. “Here we propose that it be the Ministry of Finance or the Government, which collects these resources and then turn or transfer them to the municipalities so that they attend to the negative impacts of cannabis,” Ardila said.

Now that the proposal was approved by the First Commission of the House of Representatives, it will next be sent to the plenary session of the House of Representatives.

Rep. Losada also recently proposed a cannabis bill in July, which wants to amend Colombia constitution Article 49, as well as Article 287 and 317, to allow adult-use cannabis legalization.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the country’s first leftist president, took office in August. During his inaugural address he criticized the failures of the War on Drugs and called for a new strategy to target illegal drug trafficking. In September, he called on Latin America to end the conflict. “I propose to you as President of one of the most beautiful countries on Earth, and one of the most bloodstained and violent, to end the War on Drugs, and thus allow our people to live in peace,” Petro said in his speech.

“The War on Drugs has lasted 40 years. If we do not correct the course, and this continues another 40 years, the United States will see 2.8 million die of overdoses, which is not produced in our Latin America,” Petro said. “You will see millions of African Americans be imprisoned in their private prisons. The prisoner will become a business of prison companies.”

In July 2021, former President Ivan Duque signed legislation to legalize medical cannabis for export in Colombia. “Colombia starts to play big, and with this decree we are putting ourselves at the forefront in terms of regulatory competitiveness, at least in Latin America and the Caribbean,” Duque said. “We are opening the space to do much more in cosmetics…food and beverages and even textiles.” Colombia initially approved legislation that regulated cannabis products in 2016, but dried flower export was still prohibited.

Meanwhile, the hemp industry continues to thrive. Former NBA Detroit Pistons athlete Isiah Thomas owns a hemp company called One World Products (based in Las Vegas, Nevada, but with operations in Colombia), where it recently received $10 million in financing. “We are delighted that our newest institutional investor clearly values the vision and tremendous growth potential that we see for OWP,” Thomas said. “Their second equity investment provides additional capital that will be used to continue to scale our operations in Colombia, enhance industrial sales of hemp products to customers and expand our carbon credits program.”

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According to a press release from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on Aug. 24, the agency announced that it recently seized 592 kilograms (approximately 1,305 pounds) of cannabis in a recent move.

Using a CBSA detector dog in addition to “a wide range of detection tools and technology,” law enforcement was led to 1,036 vacuum-sealed bags of “suspected cannabis” bound for export on May 26. In addition to the first seizure, another was conducted on June 26 which involved 300 kilograms (661 pounds) contained in 100 bags—netting 892 kilograms (almost 2,000 pounds) of cannabis in total between the two seizures.

“Regardless of the mode of entry (air, marine, land, rail), it is illegal to bring cannabis (and cannabis products) into or out of Canada without a valid Health Canada permit or exemption,” the agency wrote in a press release. “CBSA officers have the authority to examine in-bound shipments as well as goods for export. Personal, mail, courier, and commercial shipments are subject to the Customs Act and may be examined for prohibited goods, including cannabis and cannabis products. Avoid seizures, fines or arrest: Don’t bring it into Canada. Don’t take it out of Canada.”

Rahul Coelho, CBSA A/Director, Metro Vancouver District, Pacific Region explained that exportation is only legal for those who have obtained the proper certification. “Although cannabis has been legalized and regulated in Canada, it remains illegal to import or export cannabis and cannabis products without a valid permit or exemption issued by the Government of Canada,” Coelho said. “These significant seizures demonstrate our commitment to intercepting illegal narcotics—at import and export—and contribute directly to disrupting criminal organization activity.”

According to the Canada Cannabis Act, only licensed parties may import or export cannabis in Canada, and “only for medical or scientific purposes.” All individual shipments require a permit, and permit applications are approved on a case-by-case basis.

Cannabis exports for Canada were valued at $53 million in 2020, which according to Prohibition Partners was a 229% increase from 2019 export data. Between 2018-2020, Canada exported 30,000 kilograms (approximately 66,000 pounds) of dried medical cannabis, as well as 35,500 liters (more than 9,000 pounds) of cannabis oil overseas.

Many other countries have legalized cannabis for import and export. Israel, one of the top countries in the world for cannabis research, approved cannabis exportation in May 2020. “This is a significant step for exporters and the Israeli industry, which will enable both expansion of export opportunities as well as rising employment … in the field,” said former Israel Economy Minister Eli Cohen about the decision.

Last year in July, Colombia legalized medical cannabis export as well, specifically for flower. “Colombia starts to play big, and with this decree we are putting ourselves at the forefront in terms of regulatory competitiveness, at least in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Colombian President Ivan Duque. “We are opening the space to do much more in cosmetics … [including] food and beverages and even textiles.” Previously, Colombia approved legislation in 2016 to regulate cannabis production and sales, but exports remained banned until 2021.

A recent study revealed that in Canada, cannabis flower is still the most popular consumption method (according to data collected between 2018-2020). “The findings highlight the rapidly evolving nature of the cannabis product market, including notable shifts in the types of cannabis products used by consumers. … Although dried flower continues to dominate the market, it has begun declining with a notable shift towards increasing popularity of processed cannabis products,” researchers wrote about their findings. After flower, cannabis edibles and vape oils were the second and third most popular during the specified time frame.

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In Zimbabwe, tobacco exports brought the country $794 million in 2020, down from a high of $927 million in 2016. Tobacco is the country’s third most valuable export crop after gold and nickel matte. That said, it is also facing a rather existential threat as the industry faces challenges brought about by COVID, a drought and a shift in production heading for South Africa.

In contrast, authorities are already planning for cannabis to be the country’s largest cash crop with earnings well over a billion dollars within the next five years. Last year, the country exported 30 tons of industrial hemp to Switzerland with another 20 tons due to be exported this year.

Tobacco farmers are now being encouraged to switch to cannabis. The hope is that at least a quarter of their income is derived from cannabis sales in just the next three years.

57 companies have now received their licenses from the Zimbabwean government to grow cannabis.

A Change for Black Farmers?

One of the biggest problems Black farmers face in Zimbabwe in the current market, no matter what they cultivate, is that smaller farmers are being consistently squeezed by intermediaries who are the only chance they have to get their wares to market.

Since 2000, Black farmers have taken over former white farms after Robert Mugabe’s supporters seized white-owned plantations. This temporarily brought the tobacco farming industry in the country to a standstill. However, since 2008, the industry has recovered.

The problem that the vast majority of farmers in Zimbabwe still face, however, is access to the global market as well as capital and supplies necessary to plant and harvest their crops. Many smaller farmers are struggling to make a living in an environment where they must go into debt for seed, fertilizer, and equipment to plant and harvest their crops with contracted sellers who also literally pay pennies on the dollar for crops they sell at auction bound mostly for China.

This infrastructure was created when banks pulled out of the sector because the government has never formally transferred the land it seized from the previous owners to the farmers who currently plant crops on this land. The contracted sellers, often financed with Chinese funds, are able to get top dollar for the crops, but they pay farmers next to nothing.

This is gradually changing. According to Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka, tobacco farmers received 60% of the sales price for their tobacco in 2020, up from 50% in 2019.

While many farmers have been released from their obligations under this scheme on the tobacco side of the equation, there is nothing currently to suggest that a cannabis cultivation scheme would not create exactly the same problem.

Social Equity Still Scarce in Global Cannabis Industry

The terrible reality that still exists, globally, in the cannabis industry, is that no matter how lucrative it can be for a small minority of firms, most of these are founded and run by white people. Even in nations like the US and Canada, about 10% of executives are non-white. Indeed, according to recent data, both women and ethnic minorities continue to lose ground in the legitimizing industry globally.

In the developing world, the problem is even starker in large part because of historical inequities and the general unavailability of even loans to establish certified plantations.

This means that unless this problem is rectified, no matter how much focus governments put on cannabis cultivation and production as an “economic development tool,” the vast majority of such economic development, if not sales, will still go to a small (and mostly white, male) minority.

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Australia-based Cannim is partnering with Germany-based Cantourage to help bring Jamaican cannabis to German pharmacies.

Cannim is one of the leading cannabis cultivators in Jamaica, which plans to utilize Cantourage’s Fast Track Access Platform to sell its flower product, called Lumir, in Germany. The platform offers what Cantourage calls an “end-to-end solution.” While Cannim focuses on cultivating a high-quality product, Cantourage will control everything related to importation, manufacturing and pharmacy distribution abroad.

Although Jamaica is well-known for both its historical roots in cannabis, as well as its unique cannabis products, it isn’t commonly found outside of the Caribbean country. Cantourage Co-CEO Philip Schetter is proud to help bring a potent Jamaican cannabis product to medical patients abroad. “We are delighted to offer patients in Germany this unprecedented opportunity by bringing medical cannabis from Jamaica into the fast-growing European medical cannabis market for the first time,” Schetter said in a press release.

He continued, “We are excited to offer Cannim’s high-quality indica-dominant Lumir flowers in Europe and to further create access to the European market for medical cannabis from across the world through our platform. Cantourage continues to provide innovative cultivars and a safe, diverse supply for patients.” Lumir’s indica-dominant flowers are available in German pharmacies starting today, August 19.

Cantourage launched its Fast Track Access Platform in June 2021. In a press release, Schetter noted that the European market is dominated by just a few companies that have been able to clear all of the hurdles required to sell medical cannabis in that region. With Cantourage’s platform, Schetter hopes to help the pool of options for medical cannabis patients to expand—and more competition will also help make cannabis medicine more affordable for patients as well. Now, over 14 cultivators are using the Fast Track Access Platform.

Cannabis intended for patients in Germany must meet many regulations, and Lumir fits the bill. Cannim’s Chief Commercial Officer, Stuart Marsh, is equally honored to be approved to sell Lumir outside of Jamaica. “Germany represents an exciting opportunity for Cannim,” Marsh said. “Our ability to cultivate high quality, medical grade Jamaican cannabis that meets the strict standards of the German Pharmacopoeia is testament to the experience and expertise of our team in Jamaica.

“With our 500-acre plantation and over six cultivation circles per year, Cannim ensures continuous supply of medicinal cannabis all year round. Our partnership with Cantourage allows us to introduce our products to the European market and provide new therapy options for patients,” Marsh concluded.

The Lumir product line is named after Professor Lumír Ondřej Hanuš, an analytical chemist from the Czech Republic whose experience in cannabis research began nearly 50 years ago. One of his most famous contributions to the cannabis world includes isolating the endocannabinoid known as anandamide. He has also published his findings in numerous scientific studies on cannabis topics, and has written 16 cannabis-related articles as well. These research efforts have earned him multiple awards, the most recent being a Lifetime Achievement Award at CanEx in Jamaica in 2018.

The Lumir product line will consist of sending “Lumir flowers to pharmacies in Germany, giving German patients and doctors reliable and ongoing access to the natural, high-quality Jamaican product.” The press release confirms the transportation of cannabis flower, but does not verify if Cannim will eventually offer its line of three different 30mL tincture blends, which are currently available in Australia: The “10:10 Balanced” product that contains 10mg THC and 10mg CBD, “THC 27” that contains 27mg THC (and less than or equal to 1mg CBD) and “CBD 50” with 50mg CBD (and less than or equal to 1mg THC).

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