by Amy Wilding-Fox
Lawmakers in the small South American nation of Guyana have finally passed an industrial hemp law that decriminalizes hemp cultivation, paving the way for a new legal revenue that Minister of Agriculture Mustapha Zulfikar reportedly called “a valuable source of foreign exchange.”
First introduced to the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana in May, the Industrial Hemp Act finally passed on August 8, 2022. The new law consists of a creation of a special governing board for the Guyana Industrial Hemp Regulatory Authority. This board will oversee the issuance of licenses to both individuals and companies looking to cultivate and/or produce hemp products. According to the new law, some of the products included will be foods, textiles, furniture, medicine, and cosmetics.
Licenses for research purposes will also be allowed.
While cannabis use is still illegal in the small country, in response to the new law, Guyanese president Mohamed Irfaan Ali told local news sources that he hopes this will serve as an opportunity to convert growers of the still illegal marijuana into legal hemp growers.
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