You’d be forgiven for raising an eyebrow at the following suggestion: invest in the Colombian cannabis industry. After all, over the past few decades, Cannabis In Colombia gained notoriety for its illegal export of one of the world’s most dangerous narcotics, cocaine. This stigma–amplified through media and pop-culture the world overt–has had regrettable and lasting impacts on the nation and its economy. Admittedly, as late as 2016, the South American nation exported an estimated 1,379 tons of cocaine.
But as is too often the case, a minority of problematic individuals has tarnished the reputation of the upstanding majority. Colombia is committed to undoing that perception. And it has found allies in an unlikely place: the cannabis industry.
Cannabis in Colombia is Symbol of Peace and Hope
A 2016 law passed by the Colombian legislature allows the cultivation of 40.5 tons of cannabis, which is 44% of the production limit dictated by the International Narcotics Control Board.
Though there are already over seventy legal cannabis in Colombia-producing companies operational, illicit cultivation remains a problem. With more than 234 hectares of cannabis under inappropriate cultivation, over 900 tons of illegal cannabis are still produced annually.
This is a unique, double edged sword. The conditions that make Cannabis in Colombia ripe for the illicit drug trade are also what makes the nation so suitable for the cannabis market of the future. In another ironic twist of fate, the Colombian military–once the enemy of illegal marijuana growers–are now the de facto security force for some of the nation’s largest growing operations.
Not only is the cannabis industry playing to the nation’s natural geographic and cultural strengths, but the industry by association with modern, breakthrough medical treatments, is giving the Colombian population a safe and dignified field of employment. Workers report that the medicinal qualities of the plant bring them a great deal of satisfaction. After all, they are part of a process that helps those who are suffering from terrible ailments like multiple-sclerosis, chemotherapy-induced nausea, chronic pain, arthritis, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Overall, cannabis could medicinally benefit between 10% and 15% of the population of Latin America.
Not to mention, of course, that the cannabis industry is a huge boon to small businesses and the working people of Colombia. Last year, cannabis was a $12.2 billion (USD) market. These dollars trickle down to the cultivators, laborers and small-business people who need it the most. The Colombian cannabis advantages do not, however, stop there. The tradition of cultivation means that cannabis product distribution in Colombia is relatively easy and established.
Benefits of The Colombian Cannabis Market
Before the notorious Pablo Escobar promoted cocaine production in Colombia, the country’s illicit drug trade was based around the cultivation of once-illegal cannabis. This means that the workforce, for better or worse, has generations of experience cultivating the cannabis crop. It could be argued that there is no better population of growers, worldwide that is better equipped to become the future of the cannabis industry.
Moreover, the Colombian cannabis production costs are wildly low. According to the agricultural consultancy Crop America, a gram of cannabis costs approximately $2.10 to produce in Canada. In Colombia, the same amount of cannabis costs between $0.50 and $0.80 to produce.
It’s no surprise that, with such incredible low costs and fertile growing areas, that the Colombia cannabis cup, or Copa Cannabica El Copo, is already seeing fierce competition.
One World Products Inc and Colombian Cannabis Production
One World Products Inc (OTCWB: OWPC) is already one of the Colombian cannabis market’s industry leaders. Helmed by NBA great Isaiah Thomas, One World Products is already taking advantage of the incredible opportunities afforded by Colombian cannabis cultivation. Whether that is harvesting flower for recreational consumption or distilling cannabis into various tinctures, edibles and vaporizers for medical use, One World Products is a vertically integrated, publicly-traded corporation with its eye on the future of the industry.
Additionally, One World Products is honored to play a part in rehabilitating the image of a rich and diverse nation that’s suffered from a many decades of stigma.
Check out our website, OneWorldProducts.com, and learn how to invest in Colombian cannabis today.