President Irfaan Ali yesterday announced that plans are in place for a meeting with marijuana farmers in a bid to persuade them to switch to cultivating high-value hemp.
“There is a great opportunity that lies ahead in terms of the hemp industry and what it can do in terms of the technological push and construction material, pharmaceuticals ,” the President yesterday told a press conference held at State House.
“I intend to have a meeting very soon with all the marijuana growers in this country. I intend to have a meeting and to let them understand that there is a viable future in the hemp industry, and bring them into that discussion and move away from the marijuana that has social consequences and come into mainstream economic activity that does not have that impact and has that returns,” he added.
Ali said that data on the financial returns from hemp triggered the move as he also pointed to the social effects of marijuana.
“I’ve looked at some numbers, unbelievable numbers on the return per acre. I have a duty. The government has a duty to analyze all this,” he said.
“…I am a realistic president. I ain’t shooting in the dark. I ain’t naïve. Is only if you dealing with reality you can run a country. They already have the experience in growing…they come with technical skills, frankly speaking,” he added.
During this year’s Budget debate, Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC announced that the Hemp Bill will form part of this year’s legislative agenda.
He had last year explained that a number of matters must be ironed out before cultivation can begin.
Then, Cabinet had requested advice on whether the variety of hemp proposed to be cultivated is on the schedule of prohibited substances under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act and the Attorney General had found that the variety is not listed as an illegal drug under the Act and therefore it was agreed that they would move forward with the framework for the industry.
According to Nandlall, the development of the framework falls under the Ministry of Agriculture.
His ministry is required to create legislation to regulate the industry and to monitor the variety of the plant that will be cultivated.
Hemp is a variety of the cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for industrial use.
Co-Chair of the Guyana Hemp Industries Company Inc. (GHI) Michael Kirton, had last year said that the new industry, once given the necessary approval, will provide thousands of new jobs, create new industries and economic growth.
According to Kirton, the association was made aware of the government’s decision when it had met with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on July 12 of 2021.
“Vice President Jagdeo pointed out that cabinet and the Defence Board have already reviewed the Guyana Hemp programme as well as legal recommendations made by (the) Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General who was mandated to look into the industry,” he said in the statement.
The GHI noted that with Guyana’s unique climate, good soil and hundreds of acres of land, the plant can thrive and create a profitable industry.
Just after taking office in August 2020, Nandlall had met with the Guyana Hemp Association, led by Turhane Doerga, to listen to their concerns.
During that meeting, the Association’s Chief Operations Officer, Dr. Asha Kissoon, produced multiple written proposals for the Attorney General setting out all the impacts hemp would have if produced here, a press release said. She said that the hemp will be produced and grown in green houses and will be cultivated by professional/trained individuals.
Dr. Kissoon had stated that that hemp cannot be planted with marijuana because the plants would cross pollinate and this would destroy the entire crop.
The team contended that hemp is a multi-billion-dollar industry, which can lend to the production of hundreds of items and can create jobs.
