The production of industrial hemp can lead to a new form of industry and thus to the economic development of the country. To this end, President Santokhi installed the Presidential Working Group on "Implementation of Industrial Hemp Cultivation" on Friday 7 May.
President Santokhi emphasized that in recent years the hemp space of the cannabis industry has seen tremendous development worldwide. "It is the foundation of a multi-billion dollar industry in various industrialized parts of the world, including the United States and Europe. This multi-billion industry is also possible in our country, given the large space we have, as well as the fertile soil and the climatic conditions."
Suriname is getting a lot of interest from investors who want to invest in setting up facilities for the production of industrial hemp. The head of state said he would do everything he could to promote this economic development.
At the same time, Santokhi has pointed out that the country will stay away from the psychoactive cousin of the hemp plant, and that Suriname will solely focus on industrial hemp cultivation.
President Santokhi noted that is necessary to set up an effective regulatory framework that will, on the one hand, promote the production of industrial hemp as part of the country's economic development, but on the other hand, will combat the production of high-THC cannabis. "This is necessary to safeguard our international reputation and authority, but also to continue to protect national public health."
President Santokhi also indicated that there is now a draft law "Industrial Hemp Cultivation Act" in the National Assembly. "In our view, this draft law does not yet sufficiently meet the requirements to effective institutional, legal and regulatory framework. It is therefore up to your working group to thoroughly revise this draft law so that it can meet the requirements. Furthermore, it has been found that a number of consents regarding cannabis cultivation may have been issued, while these are not based on any legal basis. Hereby also the task of the working group to analyze these consents and to advise me as your president on this. "
In view of the importance of the hemp industry, the working group has been set up for a duration of three months. The working group has a multidisciplinary composition and consists not only of representatives from the government but also representatives from the business community. The working group is chaired by Mohamed Khodabux, advisor to the president. Within three months, the institutional and legal and regulatory framework will have to be completed and implemented.
Source: dbsuriname.com