Colombia Defines New Rules for Cannabis Exportation
The decree establishes procedures for the industrial use of cannabis in the food, beverage, and textile sectors.
By Jacqueline Passos
Over the weekend, Colombian President Ivan Duque approved a resolution outlining the commercial regulations for cannabis for medical and industrial purposes. The new rule was presented in a speech last Sunday and published by the Ministry of Health. Resolution 227 allows, defines, and establishes all mechanisms and procedures for the industrial use of cannabis in the food, beverage, and textile sectors. However, the cultivars must contain up to 1% THC, although other licenses already permit the commercialization of psychoactive derivatives and dried flowers, from seed to export.
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According to the regulation, producers can apply for export licenses, with one rule: the importing country must allow the transaction. Those interested in obtaining the license must register with the Cannabis Control Information Mechanism (MICC), and depending on the activity, authorization may be granted by the Ministry of Justice or the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance of Colombia (INVIMA). The agency will also be responsible for the licenses regulating the production of psychoactive and non-psychoactive derivatives for research, export, and use throughout the national territory. For the production of non-psychoactive derivatives, the licenses will be separate and exclusive.
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The licensing process, which regulates the cultivars from seed to export, will be overseen by the Ministry of Justice.
In the country, the medicinal use of cannabis has been legalized since 2016, and with the new decree, everything indicates that exports in the country are set to increase. The president even highlighted: “Today, Colombia is at the forefront with the regulation of the use of medicinal cannabis and its derivatives for industrial use.”
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