— areas in Regions Six and 10 earmarked for cultivation

LICENCES will be issued to farmers to cultivate hemp in Regions Six and 10 once the government approves the requisite legislation to make planting of the herb legal.

This is according to Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, who was at the time engaging members of the Region 10 business community during a community outreach held on the lawns of the Watooka Guest House, Linden, Region 10, on Sunday.

The Vice-President told the business community that the legislation on hemp and legalisation of small quantities of marijuana will soon be taken to the National Assembly for approval.

Region Six is primarily a farming region and Region 10 is also involved in agriculture. Both regions are affected by unemployment. In Region Six, over 7,000 sugar workers were laid off by the former APNU+AFC Government and in Region 10, the level of private investment has not been great.

Mr Jagdeo said that the hemp industry can be a major provider of jobs and the government is targeting Regions Six and 10 to help fill their unemployment gaps. These two regions have a significant number of people and expertise in farming.

Several farmers in Region 10 who were present at the meeting told the Guyana Chronicle that the announcement by the Vice-President was most welcome news, as it paves the way for the creation of a multibillion-dollar industry.

Cleveland Tappin said the licensing of farmers to cultivate hemp is a step in the right direction and contended that the government must now move quickly to legalise cultivation of the plant.

“Hemp can be very useful in the pharmaceutical industry. It can help in remedying many ailments and outside of the health industry, it can be used to make over 1,000 products and these include bulletproof glass, tyres and rope, as well as support agriculture development,” said Gerald George.

Oliver Tappin, another of the farmers who spoke with this publication, believes that the legalisation of hemp will support the green revolution in the agricultural sector and commended the government for its vision in taking steps to regulate the industry.

According to Business Wire, the Global Industrial Hemp Market Report and Forecast 2021-2026, the global industrial hemp market attained a value of US$ 4.7 billion in 2020.

The report went on to say that aided by the introduction of favourable regulations, the market is projected to further grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 22.5 per cent between 2021 and 2026 to reach a value of US$14.6 billion by 2026.

Earlier this month, President Dr Irfaan Ali at a news conference encouraged persons who are planting marijuana to repurpose their lands to facilitate hemp production.

GREAT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY
The President at the time indicated that the marijuana cultivators already have the expertise in planting and the resources to make the switch to what he described as a great investment opportunity.

“Great opportunity lies ahead in terms of the hemp industry and what it can do in terms of the technological push, construction material, pharmaceuticals. I have looked at some numbers, unbelievable numbers on the return per acre and I have a duty, the government has a duty to analyse all of this,” the President had told reporters.

Industrial hemp can be used to produce medicine, milk, healthy foods, clothing, organic body-care products, biofuels and construction materials, among other products, said President of the Guyana Industrial Hemp Association, Aaron Prince.

HEMP IS NOT MARIJUANA
In Guyana, there is a common belief that hemp is marijuana – even though they belong to the same family – they are notably different.

“The difference in hemp and marijuana is that hemp is used to describe cannabis that contains 0.3 per cent or less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content by dry weight, comparatively. THC levels in marijuana flowers are generally between three and 15 per cent or more, depending on the strain. THC is the chemical compound that gives you euphoria when you smoke marijuana; the 0.3 per cent THC in hemp cannot get you high,” Prince had previously explained to the Guyana Chronicle.

Guyana’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 1988 criminalises possession of, and trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and cultivation of certain plants, including hemp, which is classified as an illegal narcotic. The government is crafting a legal framework to allow cultivation of hemp and the regularisation of the industry.

At a separate meeting with members of the religious community, also on the lawns of the Watooka Guest House, members of the Rastafarian community called for the legalisation of marijuana, reiterating that the substance is an integral part of their culture and religion.

On that note, the Rastafarians pointed out that the marijuana it not a recreational but a sacramental drug to members of their community.

AMENDMENTS TO LEGISLATION
Mr Jagdeo, in responding to their call, said that the government supports removal of the custodial penalty for small quantities of marijuana.

Earlier this month, the public was invited by a Special Select Committee of the National Assembly to make submissions on the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Amendment Bill 2021.

The proposed amendments introduce mandatory counselling by a certified counsellor specified by the court for anyone convicted of being in possession of cannabis, which does not exceed 15 grammes. The period of counselling will be determined by the counsellor after an assessment.

For persons convicted after being in the possession of a quantity of cannabis which exceeds 15 grammes, but does not exceed 30 grammes, the court shall make an order requiring that person to perform community service. The bill also shifts the burden of proof to the defendant, who, once found in possession of more than 15 grammes of cannabis, has to prove that he is in possession of the narcotic for a purpose other than that of trafficking.

Ras Richard Taylor, Vice-Chairman of the Rastafari Initiative for Social Economic Empowerment (RISEE) and Secretary of the umbrella body, The Rastafari Community, Wozeiro Esther Gittens in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle hailed the invitation for submissions from the public on the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Amendment Bill 2021 as a victory for the Rastafarian community.

Amendments to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Amendment Bill to remove criminalisation of small amounts of marijuana were first tabled by APNU+AFC Member of Parliament, Michael Carrington in 2015, during the Coalition’s tenure in office, but the bill was never debated.

Mr Jagdeo said the PPP/C Government is committed to removing the custodial sentence for small amounts of marijuana in keeping with its 2020 elections manifesto promise.