The Guyana parliament on Monday night gave the green light for the cultivation of industrial hemp with opposition legislators from the coalition A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) being absent for the passage of the Industrial Hemp Bill.
“Hemp production in Guyana is a win-win situation for all the players involved. For the grower, it will be a source of income generation and job creation. For the consumers, it would have significant benefits, and for the broader economy, it would be a valuable source of foreign exchange, especially in the context of economic diversification,” Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said as he piloted the legislation.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall told the National assembly on Monday that the cultivation of industrial hemp will begin in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice),
Under the legislation, industrial hemp is considered to be any plant of the genus cannabis with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.
Globally, the industrial hemp market is valued at an estimated US$4.13 billion, and the Irfaan Ali government said it intends to tap into this market as part of the efforts to diversify the economy while simultaneously pursuing the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
Nandlall said there were both local and foreign investors interested in the industrial hemp industry with Regions Six and 10 identified for the start of hemp cultivation and production.
“Why Mr. Speaker? Because these are two regions that can be considered depressed and that can be considered regions that we need to stimulate employment and economic activities,” he said, noting that apart from its economic benefits, industrial hemp has tremendous environmental and health benefits.
“It absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen into the atmosphere with one acre of hemp being able to absorb over 22 tons of carbon dioxide. When harvested, it replaces more polluting materials in the manufacturing industry and provides alternatives for sustaining the environment.
Mustapha said while the legislation decriminalizes the production of hemp with a THC level that is less than 0.3 percent, the bill clearly distinguishes hemp from marijuana and creates a legislative framework to effectively regulate the local industry.
Mustapha said as such, the Industrial Hemp Bill provides for the establishment of the Guyana Industrial Hemp Regulatory Authority and a governing board.
CMC/
