Will Colombia soon be (legally) exporting cannabis?

The Colombian government may reconsider the current ban on exporting medical cannabis flowers for commercial purposes. In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Health, the country's Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) suggested that Colombia modify its regulations to authorize cannabis flower exports.

Currently, only cannabis «for scientific purposes» can be exported from the South American nation. Yet, despite millions of dollars in foreign investment, Colombian cannabis exporters have struggled to gain a foothold on the global market. Experts believe that this SIC initiative could prompt the Colombian government to authorize medical cannabis exports.

A report from the largest trade association of Colombian cannabis players, Asocolcanna, revealed that Colombia mainly exported CBD-rich extracts to the US, UK and Australia for a total of 5 million $, a figure that pales in comparison to the hundreds of millions of dollars the country has welcomed into cannabis production projects.

SIC's request follows a similar letter from Asocolcanna earlier this year in which they urged the Colombian government to allow the export of high-THC cannabis. Both letters come at a time when the Colombian government was planning to amend the country's cannabis laws.

The Colombia is an ideal place to grow cannabis with year-round growth. Its drive to deliver consistent, high-quality products to the global market has spawned some of the biggest names in global cannabis. Clever Leaves, which cultivates 18 cannabis greenhouses on over 16 hectares in Colombia, joined the NASDAQ last December. Khiron Life Sciences has exported the first quantities of medical cannabis from Colombia to Peru, in extract form.