Ecuador legalizes hemp with 1% THC

Ecuador legalized the cultivation of hemp up to 1% THC at the end of June, excluding it from the list of substances subject to the rules of the country's Comprehensive Organic Penal Code (COIP), and placing the plant under the jurisdiction of agricultural authorities. Ecuador's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock must issue regulations on hemp within 120 days of the law's promulgation.

«It's time to think outside the box. It's essential to look for options that create jobs and attract foreign currency. The hemp industry is an alternative with high production potential and is attractive to investors, hence the need to create these spaces for dialogue», said declared Minister Iván Ontaneda.

The Federation of Cannabis Communities of Ecuador has nonetheless regretted certain rules that prohibit hemp cultivation in border and coastal areas. It also fears that the proposed rules will not allow small producers and farmers to participate in the industry, due to the financial requirements for licenses. These growers would most likely have to form some type of legal entity or association to comply with the new law.

The Federation also criticized the law for giving the Ministry of Agriculture excessive powers to inspect, sanction and destroy hemp crops, and for failing to take into account environmental considerations linked to the use of agrochemicals.

EcuaCáñamo, the Ecuadorian medicinal and industrial hemp association, has insisted on the fact that regulations should be simple and avoid the problems seen in other countries caused by excessive regulation. For her, future rules should encompass industrial applications in order to realize the economic and export promise of Ecuadorian hemp.

The country must also legalize medical cannabis in the near future.