Felipe Samaniego, partner at CorralRosales and leader of the Ecuadorian Association of Cannabis Industries, has participated in an article published by the digital medium El Comercio. It reports on the approval of hemp seeds in the Ecuadorian provinces of  Imbabura and Pichincha.

A cultivation of 140 cannabis plants is part of the first valuation analysis carried out by the National Institute of Agricultural Research (Iniap). It is estimated that in the summer of 2021 the research carried out will already offer results on the legal development of hemp in Ecuador, with a view to its production.

The cannabis, soon, will be harvested and will go to the next phase: drying in the dark, according to Jorge Merino, a researcher from the Santa Catalina Experimental Station. After this process, the cannabis will be analyzed in a laboratory with a mass chromatograph to separate the components and thus be able to quantify them.

The tests, as indicated in the article, will be carried out in different areas: two in Imbabura and one in Sangolquí.

Scientists observe the progress of the tests carried out, as does Felipe Samaniego, who explains to El Comercio that "fabrics, chocolates, cosmetics and more products are made from hemp. It is estimated that in 2022 the local industry will manufacture products and export them".

The cost of the licenses to develop this industry was approved and it is now the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) that implements the procedures.

Originally Published by El Comercio, December 2020

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