– says GHI as it reiterates call for legalisation of hemp

REPRESENTATIVES of the Guyana Hemp Industries (GHI) have renewed their calls for the legalisation of hemp which they predict will benefit the country at the launch of Hemp Awareness Week on Sunday.

The launching took place at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) headquarters on Brickdam, Georgetown, where a group in support of the use of plant turned out to view the mini-exhibition put on show.

Among those present were Chairman of GHI Verman Bedessee and Co-Founder Vishnu Bandhu.

According to Bedessee, much work has been done by the organisation to sensitise the public on the benefits of hemp which he points out is different from marijuana although the two come from the same plant species, Cannabis Sativa.
The chairman explained that within marijuana, there are high amounts of cannabinoids called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is credited for causing the marijuana ‘high’ while hemp contains some 0.3 percent or less THC.
Bedessee believes that this common misconception between marijuana and hemp continues to contribute to there being no legislation for organisations such as the GHI to make use of the product.
However, the body remains hopeful that this will change, even if supporters must settle for a farming permit.
“I’m very confident [that hemp will be legalised in Guyana] but I don’t know when….Guyana needs to be in the leading stage by taking action now and legalise hemp or if they don’t want to legalise it give permits like America and Canada do.
“They’re issuing a driver’s permit for persons who don’t have a license, it’s the same thing. If we don’t have a law in Guyana for hemp let’s issue a permit to the farmers and have it be controlled,” Bedessee suggested.
He made reference to the United States (US) Hemp Farming Act of 2018 which is a proposed law to remove hemp from Schedule I, controlled substances, making it an ordinary agricultural commodity.
The same in Guyana, he said, could prove to be very beneficial to locals with its some 60,000 uses.

Some of the uses he listed were bio-degradable hemp plastic bags; hemp paper; bio-composite hempcrete for building; bio-diesel fuel; hemp flour for 50 per cent more protein than regular flour and more.

In addition to this, the GHI wants to introduce hemp knowledge into the school curriculum.
“We want to have it in the curriculum and once we get a hemp permit going we can we get a plantation and we will then take some of that profit and start talking to the Ministry of Education…about educating everyone about hemp,” he said.
This is the body’s strategy to ensure there are eventually mechanisms within tertiary institutions which further promote scientific studies on hemp.
Under the week’s theme ‘Removing the Barriers: Don’t Block Industrial Hemp’, the organisation will host public forums, exhibitions, concerts and sports activities in other areas such as Berbice, Linden and Essequibo.