4 August 2016
Via News Coop
A group of 53 farmers in Colombia have created the country’s first medical marijuana co-operative. Colombia recently became the fourth state in Latin America to legalise marijuana production for medicinal use. In an attempt to move away from illegal production, the country has started granting licences to pharmaceutical companies that want to cultivate the plant to generate marijuana derivate products.
The producers are based in the region of Cauca, where 50% of the illegally produced marijuana comes from. The co-op’s official launch took place in July in the city of Corinto, where health minister Alejandro Gaviria said he wanted Colombia to become the world’s top research centre on the medicinal use of marijuana. His ministry will work with the National University to develop the research centre on the therapeutic use of cannabis.
Mr Gaviria argued that Colombia could be the winner in the emerging market of medicinal marijuana products. The co-op, called Caucannabis, will be selling the plant to Sannabis, a subsidiary of New Colombia Resources, Inc. that creates marijuana derivate products such as extracts, oils and lotions. Sannabis has been growing medical marijuana in Cauca and producing derivates since 2014.
Read Full Report: http://www.thenews.coop/107598/news/business/colombias-first-medical-marijuana-co-ops-set-post-conflict-region/
