Argentina Opens Its Market to Hemp Flowers Containing 1% of THC

The new regulatory framework, established by the Regulatory Agency for the Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Industry (ARICCAME) through Resolution 69/2026, broadens the rules that previously focused mainly on seeds, grains and fibres. It now covers the flowers of Cannabis sativa, biomass and any other harvested plant material intended for medical, nutritional, cosmetic, veterinary, industrial and research applications.

This measure marks the final step in a regulatory process that Argentina has put in place since the legalization of industrial hemp and medical cannabis in 2022.

Four Types of Licenses for the Hemp Industry in Argentina

Under the new system, the ARICCAME has defined four licence categories covering cultivation, manufacturing, related services and foreign trade.

Licenses will remain valid for five years but must be renewed annually. Producers must also comply with requirements regarding agricultural practices, infrastructure, laboratory testing, lot identification, and traceability.

The regulations allow for some flexibility when crops exceed the national limit of 1% of THC. Samples with a content of THC Values ranging from 1 to 2.5% may be subject to further analysis and an administrative review rather than being automatically considered a violation of the regulations.

Foreign trade licenses, meanwhile, cover the import and export of dried horticultural hemp and reference materials. Other government agencies will continue to oversee requirements related to customs, food, pharmaceuticals, health inspections, and plant health.

For companies interested in flowers and biomass, the significance of this measure is primarily regulatory: activities that previously lacked a sufficiently clear commercial framework now benefit from a dedicated licensing system.

A framework that has been gradually implemented since 2022

Argentina's current policy stems from legislation enacted in 2022, when the country has established a legal framework for the hemp and medical cannabis.

The following year, implementing regulations officially set the limit at 1% of THC the threshold for distinguishing industrial hemp. This threshold is higher than the 0.3% standard historically used in a number of international markets.

It was also in 2023 that Argentina officially launched the ARICCAME, entrusting this agency with the responsibility for regulating activities throughout the production chain, including cultivation, manufacturing, marketing, imports and exports.

At the time, the government had touted hemp and medical cannabis as potential sources of industrial development, research, jobs, and exports. Its ambitions encompassed uses ranging from food and textile fibers to building materials, including cellulose, the bioplastics, cosmetics, and veterinary products.

Research was another component of this strategy. The Argentine Ministry of Science announced funding of more than $106 million for 13 cannabis-related research and development projects, while the government also established Cannabis Conicet in order to support technological development in this sector.

The regulatory framework, however, distinguishes between the industrial hemp other cannabis-related activities. In particular, the processing of CBD remains subject to separate restrictions stemming from a 2020 decree governing access to CBD- and THC-based medical products.

A Clearer Path for Flowers and Biomass

Resolution 69/2026 is therefore part of a regulatory framework that has been developed over a number of years.

By explicitly integrating hemp flowers and biomass, Argentina is expanding the range of plant materials that can enter regulated commercial channels and targets international markets.