By Dalton Rosario
The Colombian government has authorized for the first time ever an exported shipment of medical grade cannabis for research testing and analysis to be conducted in Canada. This has been deemed by the government as a testament of the quality conditions and cultivation capable in South America, launching Colombia as a pioneer on the global market. Six Canadian Import permits were authorized by Health Canada, from which Colombia’s government expedited approval of shipment. This proves advantageous for both countries as the capital investments required to accommodate Canada’s greenhouse infrastructure can be significantly reduced by Canadian companies instead investing their external laboratory overhead costs into Colombia-grown cannabis.
This is not the first time Canada has accepted cannabis shipments from abroad for medical testing. Two other instances have occurred in 2018: the first from Africa in March and the second from Jamaica in September; placing Canada as the premier destination for cannabis testing and scientific experimentation worldwide. Later in 2019, Canadian company Ecomedics S.A.S. aka Clever Leaves will also begin accepting shipments of Colombian cannabis extracts for testing purposes. Likewise Colombia’s government has expressed interest in allowing medical cannabis cultivation from their country to be exported for research testing in countries that are willing to register for permits, such as Germany in the near future.
