The signature of President Rodrigo Chaves, on the regulations of Law No.10113 entitled "Cannabis Law for Medicinal and Therapeutic Use and Hemp for Food and Industrial Use", established the rules for the production of industrial hemp in Costa Rica.

The regulation establishes a simple way of setting the parameters so that individuals or private and public companies can develop industrial hemp, according to President Rodrigo Chaves.

"The Government will not sell licenses or charge them for this crop," Chaves said during the press conference at the end of his meeting with the Government Council. "We are going to let people who want to work their land do so through an authorization, like any other type of crop, so we are not going to encourage the creation of private monopolies of any kind around the industrial production of hemp."

According to Chaves, the industry's use of CBD (a substance that is extracted from hemp and not a drug), is equivalent to more than $60 billion in the world. "We want healthy competition and opportunity for all farmers and investors to live, to help with economic activation, generating more employment and better living conditions for the population," he said.

The regulation is expected to be published in the official government newspaper La Gaceta this week.

The 10113 law also allows the production of medical cannabis in the country. However, the government still needs to issue the respective regulations or guidelines. In this regard, Chaves said that this regulation is still in its analysis phase, but he hopes that this guideline will be completed in the next few days.

The so-called cannabis and hemp law was approved by Congress and signed by former President Carlos Alvarado in March. It allows for access and use of cannabis and its derivatives for medicinal and therapeutic use. Also, it authorizes the production and commercialization of hemp for industrial and food use.

This law is part of the former President Alvarado government action plan for the economic reactivation of the post-covid-19 pandemic.

  

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