Cannabis Dry Flower Export – Decree 811 of 2021
On July 23, 2021, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection issued Decree 811, through which the regulation of the import, export, cultivation, production, commercialization, and use of cannabis, the cannabis plant, and its derivatives is modified.
This new regulation replaces Decree 613 of 2017 (regulating Law 1787 of 2016), which particularly restricted the export of the dry flower of cannabis. Under this new decree, said raw material can now be shipped or sold:
- From the national customs territory to the rest of the world;
- From free zones to the rest of the world; or
- From the national customs territory to free zones.
Decree 811 also establishes that the purposes allowed for such export are pending to be defined in regulations issued jointly by the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Justice and Law, and Health and Social Protection. For the moment –and while such regulation emerges– the export of cannabis (including its dry flower) to the rest of the world will only be allowed for scientific purposes.
The export authorization of the cannabis dry flower represents an important opportunity for commercial expansion and economic reactivation for the country. According to the Colombian Association of Cannabis Industries (Asocolcanna, by its acronym in Spanish), this decision will allow Colombia to position itself as one of the main exporters of dry flower worldwide, along with countries such as Uruguay, Ecuador, Mexico, and Canada that already sell it successfully overseas.
Now, Decree 811 of 2021 also includes important modifications that improve control and increase the competitiveness of the use of cannabis. For example, the requirements for the granting of licenses are strengthened, including the extension of their validity from 5 to 10 years. Likewise, the decree contemplates the possibility that, under the license for the manufacture of non-psychoactive cannabis derivatives, food products and beverages with THC content of less than 1% by dry weight are developed.
This decree also offers the possibility of expanding the sales of cannabis-based drugs in pharmacies, through the dispensing of magisterial preparations. At the academic level, the new regulation promotes scientific research, and allows the issuance of extraordinary authorizations to higher education institutions to study the benefits and effects of the cannabis plant and its derivatives.
Based on the above, Decree 811 of 2021 constitutes a new guide that strengthens the technical content on cannabis regulation in Colombia and provides legal alternatives for its manufacture and commercialization, thus facilitating the route to generate several business opportunities in the emerging worldwide market of cannabis.
Author: Juan Carlos Orjuela I [email protected] I Life Sciences
Author: Sebastián Rubiano I [email protected] I Life Sciences
