The Agriculture Ministry is currently looking to fill a critical position within the hemp regulatory framework, that being the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Industrial Hemp Regulatory Authority, in light of the recent configuration of the Board of Directors.
This was explained by Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, in an exclusive interview with this publication where he revealed that the Hemp Authority board was recently set up and confirmed that the board was indeed looking to appoint a CEO for the authority.
According to Mustapha, this is one of the initial steps before the authority can begin its work in earnest… a work he hopes can start by February month end, by which time this critical position should be filled.
“So, when the CEO is appointed, then you will get the complete body. Then they will put out advertisements for licences. In regions six and ten, those are the two regions. We’ve already given them the policy. By the end of January, they should have all the applications. And I’m hoping by the end of February, we can get everything to start work,” the Minister said.
The Industrial Hemp Regulatory Authority will be tasked with overseeing Guyana’s hemp industry, in keeping with the Industrial Hemp Bill 2022 that was passed back in August of that year.
While hemp does contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), advocates have argued that this is in very low amounts, below 0.3 per cent, which is too low to be psychoactive. In Guyana, the THC level needs to be below 0.3 per cent for it to be considered legal.
A person shall now cultivate or manufacture hemp or hemp-related products; or conduct research or any other activity related to industrial hemp without a licence issued by the authority under the Act. In the case of a violation, a person is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $500,000 or imprisonment for one year.
The framework states, “The Board shall consider the impact on public health, safety, security, commerce, and agriculture, and need for the orderly development of the sector, including exclusivity, when considering an application for the issuance of a licence under this Act.”
After the licence is granted, a person is not allowed to plant any seed or plant, or harvest any cannabis plant before a sample of the seed or plant is analysed by an analyst to ascertain whether it confirms to the allowed THC concentration.
Hemp is a multibillion-dollar industry that can lend to the production of hundreds of items. Some uses for hemp include rope, textiles, clothing, shoes, food, and belts. Hemp is often confused with marijuana, but it is crucial to understand the distinction between the two. Both hemp and marijuana are varieties of the cannabis plant, which includes over 100 to 156 different strains. The two most recognised strains are hemp and marijuana.
Hemp presents significant economic opportunities for Guyana, with potential benefits spanning various sectors. With around 100,000 to 150,000 potential use cases and products, hemp can be a versatile addition to Guyana’s economy.
As a matter of fact, Mustapha had previously disclosed that lands have already been identified in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) for small-scale farmers to cultivate one to two acres of industrial-type hemp.
