Clause 18(2) provides that a cultivation licence is valid for three (3) years and includes activities such as possessing, planting, propagating, harvesting, transporting, distributing and selling industrial hemp. This license is renewable. The difference between hemp and marijuana is that hemp is used to describe cannabis, which comparatively contains 0.3% or less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The THC content of marijuana flowers is typically between three and 15% or more, depending on the variety. THC is the chemical compound that gives you euphoria when you smoke marijuana; the 0.3% THC in hemp can`t get you high, » Prince previously told the Guyana Chronicle. While the law decriminalizes the cultivation of hemp under a dividing line between hemp and marijuana at 0.3% THC, it also empowers authorities to search growers` premises and seize property if they are suspected of growing without a permit. Unlicensed hemp operators could face fines of up to $500,000 and up to one year in jail. Guam legalized adult-use cannabis in 2019 and passed industry regulations in May 2022 that allow adults to legally grow, possess, and consume cannabis. It remains illegal to sell cannabis until the commercial market officially begins. Guyana`s parliament gave the green light to the cultivation of industrial hemp on Monday night, with opposition lawmakers from the coalition A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU + AFC) absent from the passage of the Industrial Hemp Act.
No one is allowed to grow and engage in hemp activities without a licence, and those who do so without a licence will be fined $500,000 and jailed for one year. Training is offered to interested persons and, to ensure the development of a viable hemp industry, the Commission may enter into any agreement, including cultivation, manufacturing or training agreements (Article 33). This demonstrates the government`s commitment to training individuals in all aspects of hemp cultivation and ensuring maximum productivity and long-term sustainability of the industry. The bill allows the Minister of Agriculture, and therefore the government, to designate areas for hemp cultivation. Mr. Spokesman, with this legislation, Guyana would be ready to enter the global market for industrial hemp. The global industrial hemp market was valued at $4.9 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $10.6 billion by 2025 and $18.6 billion by 2027. According to Business Wire, the Global Industrial Hemp Market Report and Forecast 2021-2026, the global industrial hemp market reached $4.7 billion in 2020. At the end of the day, it`s great that Guyana recognizes the legality of hemp cultivation and the processing and production of hemp products. The country is known for its natural resources, including rainforests, sugar cane plantations, rice fields, and bauxite and gold reserves. I have no doubt it will only be a matter of time before industrial hemp is added to this list.
The measure allows farmers and manufacturers to apply for a licence to grow hemp for the end-use of food, textiles, furniture, medicines and cosmetics. International hemp is big business. There are all kinds of opportunities related to the international import, export, production, processing and sale of hemp and hemp products. We process these applications weekly and have been doing so since 2018, when the federal government legalized hemp cultivation with the passage of the Farm Bill 2018. To ensure that the government keeps abreast of developments in the hemp industry, all licensees should submit an annual progress report on activities. Annual reports must also be submitted by March 31 of the following year. Failure to file a return will result in a fine of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00). Production of industrial hemp seeds Clause 25 of the bill provides that the production and propagation of industrial hemp seeds would be covered by the Seeds Act.
This will allow for the diversification and improvement of agricultural products in Guyana and in line with the Government`s current efforts. Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall told the National Assembly on Monday that industrial hemp cultivation would begin in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), Cleveland Tappin said licensing farmers to grow hemp was a step in the right direction. Saying the government needed to act quickly now. legalize the cultivation of the plant. In addition, a new industry has diversified economic importance. Most of what I mentioned is direct or indirect economic contributions, if the operating revenues or expenses come from industrial operators or suppliers. In addition, there is the induced economic contribution associated with the issuance of wages and salaries earned as a result of the activities of the industrial hemp industry. Increasingly, the U.S. isn`t exactly a world leader on issues like the federal legalization of cannabis or the gradual reform of international hemp and CBD at the federal level.
Other countries are overtaking us (see here). One such country is now Guyana, where the small South American nation recently legalized industrial hemp and « hemp products. » Guyana will also establish the Guyana Industrial Hemp Authority and its Board of Directors to regulate and supervise the country`s hemp industry. Oliver Tappin, another of the farmers who spoke to this publication, believes that the legalization of hemp will support the green revolution in the agricultural sector and praised the government for its vision to take steps to regulate the industry.
