Dear Editor
WHILE the Guyana Government continues to ignore the reality of the massive benefits of industrial hemp, it is time they recognise the economic opportunities our farmers, processors and businesses across the country will gain by permitting the cultivation and processing of this profitable and valuable crop.

It is true that when legislation is put in place, it will ensure that industrial hemp be considered an agricultural product and that it can be treated the same way as other crops.
Industrial hemp has the potential to be a major boon to the country’s agriculture sector, giving our farmers, especially in Linden and wider Region 10, a viable, profitable option for the fields.

It is a plant which takes relatively little water to grow and no chemicals; and so I believe the region and the country are ready to go forward with the establishment of an industrial hemp Industry, which will provide large-scale green jobs, create new, green industries, build our economy and eradicate poverty.

According to the Hemp Business Journal, “The Industrial Hemp industry is projected to grow 700 per cent and hit US$2 billion by 2020; and if Guyana removes the barriers for establishment of a hemp industry, our country can become a leader in industrial hemp production and be in the forefront of a new industry with unlimited potential.

The legalisation of industrial hemp after decades of its unfortunate misalignment with its more infamous cousin marijuana, will bring prosperity and a bright future for our farmers and businesses in Linden and Region 10 and the entire Guyana.

My beloved President Granger, I wish you good health to continue the good work to develop our country and its people, but I urge you to simply give the no-objection for the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp in our dear Guyana.

Regards
Elsie Benjamin
Hemp Advocate