A lot of the major cities in the country like Medellin. Medellin was seeing higher rates of murders and other crimes at one point in time. Those same cities are now progressing very quickly. Many of them becoming popular tourist attractions and centers for innovative excellence.

The world view’s Medellin as one of the most innovative city. In a competition organized by the Citi Group and Wall Street Journal newspaper. More innovative than the likes of New York and Tel Aviv behind.

Colombia and the Cannabusiness World

Photo Credit | Dan Gold

With all the improvements that Colombia has been seeing since the ceasefire in 2016, it has also started to attract a lot of international cannabusiness attention. A cannabis company called Pharmacielo which is based in Toronto, Canada. they have managed to become the first international company to obtain the cultivation license in Colombia.

The president of the country, Juan Manuel Santos had implemented a law in Colombia which essentially declared cannabis to be a legal substance in the country later in 2016.

Later in 2016 Juan Manual Santos, the president of the country implemented a law declaring cannabis as a legal substance.

With the license having been obtained, Pharmacielo has been running a cultivation operation to grow medical cannabis in Colombia about an hour’s distance away from Medellin in Rionegro. 2017 saw Cooperative Caucannabis and Pharmacielo agree to do business together.

The Caucannabis is a collective which consists of Colombian nationals who had been growing cannabis in Colombia. This partnership between Pharmacielo and the Caucannabis have a lot of potential when it comes to giving a sense of legitimacy to the farmers and their growing operations which were once considered to be illicit.

A Substitution To Coca Farming

According to the deal that the FARC and the government of Colombia have come to, families are now offered aid to grow medical cannabis. Before this, drug cartels had forced those families into growing coca plants. 

This program has been devised to instill crop substitution. The Colombian government will provide the farmers and their families food subsidies and other kinds of assistance. To enable them to successfully cultivate their crop of medical cannabis.

This aim of this program is to radically reduce the growth of coca plants. In hopes to ultimately eradicate the cultivation of coca. So the raw material for cocaine might no longer be farmed.

At the current point in time, there are over 60 families which have become a part of this initiative and are now growing medical cannabis instead of the coca plant working with Pharmacielo and the Colombian government’s support.

A Recovering Region

OC Gonzalez Photo | Credit

In the Cauca region, Pharmacielo is working to deal with a part of the country which has seen a lot of difficult times. Before the rebel movements had extorted and forced the farmers into growing operations. Rebels pressured farmers into supplying the raw material to fulfill the black market needs.

The Colombian government is taking the initiative to involve Pharmacielo in introducing a legal and legitimate medical cannabis practice in the region. In hopes, the whole landscape will see a positive change.

Farmers that are cultivating the cannabis will not have profits taken away like before. The industry will see them as equal participants and they will receive equal shares.

Eventually, the whole prospect of establishing a proper and thriving industry is going to see the economic situation of the local farmers also see the kind of legitimacy which it had never known before.

Colombia Is Ideal For Growing Medical Cannabis

Comparing to somewhere like Canada. The costs of growing the medical cannabis plant in Colombia is significantly less. Because of the cold and dry conditions generally, throughout Canada. The farmers who are trying to grow cannabis in Canada have to resort to using a lot of equipment. Powerful lights, climate control equipment, and fans to cultivate successful growth.

The fact that Colombia is geographically located much closer to the equator than Canada makes the conditions in the country much more favorable for the growth of cannabis plants. The temperatures in the country don´t vary by a lot throughout the year, the daylight is 12 hours every day throughout the year and the humidity is ideal.

These factors make for the conditions to grow cannabis much easier when you compare it to Canada. It is because of the ideal conditions in Colombia that Pharmacielo is working in the country to make it a major supplier of medical cannabis in the world.

Ideal Conditions Might Not Be All They Need

While of course, Colombia has more than ideal conditions to be able to grow cannabis in a significant amount. The fact remains. Colombia cannot supply the rest of the world with its cannabis produce unless there are free trade agreements. They need to exist between all other countries and Colombia.

For fair trade agreements, all other countries will have to wait. These medical marijuana patients could benefit from the potentially large supply of cannabis that Colombia can produce.

Regardless of the geopolitical and diplomatic obstacles right now. Pharmacielo is in the works to develop the company and the cultivation of medical cannabis in Colombia with the prospect of going worldwide.

The post Colombia Might Soon Be Supplying Medical Cannabis To The World appeared first on Drug Testing Solutions.

There was a prank that was pulled off at the beginning of the year. A true stoner changed the iconic Hollywood sign to Hollyweed. Now many people have started to use Hollyweed instead!!  With plenty of support for the world of cannabis. The number of influential people coming forward to raise awareness about the use of marijuana is also seeing a rise in recent times.

The cannabis business industry is seeing the involvement of many A list celebs. Being celebrities, these people have a lot of influence on the global population and with their approach to advocating marijuana. They are making a big difference in places where marijuana is legal.

The negative stereotypes which have long been associated with this miraculous Plant. Slowly but surely are now being broken apart and Hollyweed is making that happen.

It was not very long ago that everybody considered marijuana to be a highly dangerous psychoactive drug.

Because of that kind of thinking, society used to look down on cannabis and users of cannabis. Hippies and bums and supreme drug lords had been associated with the drug.

Hollywood Stars Promoting Cannabis

Photo Credit | Renee Calabretta

With many people coming forward to advocate cannabis. The perception of the use of marijuana might finally be changing. There are so many celebrities now that have come forth and admitted that they use marijuana.

Some make use of marijuana for the medical benefits that it has. Others who use it for the sheer pleasure of smoking a heavenly bud.

The magical herb is picking up the pace when it comes to popularity. Even television has started to promote marijuana with the popular show “Disjointed” now on Netflix.

Even when marijuana was considered to be an illicit substance. Hollywood stars were promoting cannabis!

Remember Morgan Freeman? Yeah, he’s been an advocate of marijuana for a long time now. Freeman started using marijuana in 2008. As far we know. Apparently, since he had that car accident. He smoked to treat the chronic pain he was suffering from.

Hollywood Stars and The Cannabusiness Sector

Whoopi Goldberg is another Hollywood star who started making use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Whoopi has had a glaucoma problem for a long time now and she uses a vape pen to help her with it.

It’s not just her use of cannabis and admission of use that’s the big thing here. Recently Whoopi Goldberg has stepped into the cannabusiness industry. She has teamed up with Om Edibles and Maya Elisabeth to make the company Whoopi & Maya.

This cannabis product line features products that are infused with the active compounds found in marijuana like CBD and THC to relieve menstrual pain. The line has designed balms soaks and rubs to relieve aches and pains.

The famous Country music star Willie Nelson has also taken to the cannabusiness sector. His world-famous brand Willie’s Reserve. With marijuana being legalized in different states across the US. Willie nelson, a long time marijuana smoker. Wille established his own brand of marijuana products called the Willie’s Reserve.

Tommy Chong winner of the Original Stoner Celebrity title. The comedian and actor who has been a strong advocate for marijuana for a long time. The celebrity came out with his own line of marijuana called the Chong’s Choice back in 2016.

Incredibly,The enterprise that has grown into six states is now a real enterprise. His company was the first company in the cannabusiness sector to reach out to multiple territories as he successfully managed to navigate his company through the complicated regulations.

Venture Capitalist Stoner

Photo Credit | Olga DeLawrence
Undoubtedly the Godfather of all things cannabis. Snoop Dogg has really taken things to the next level. For the longest time, when you think of the name Snoop Dogg, you will think about weed.

They’re both synonymous now. His passion for weed has always been ever so resilient and all his perseverance is paying off.

Snoop Dogg will be investing a capital of $45 million that he raised into a cannabusiness. Snoop Dogg’s quite famous for being the rapper who everybody loves but it’s his second career that might make more of a difference in the world when it comes to cannabis.

There have not been many people in the world who have had an impact as great as Snoop Dogg. 2015 saw Snoop Dogg co-found a venture fund by the name of Casa Verde Capital.

Unexpectedly Casa Verde Capital venture fund is only going to be dealing with the ancillary side of the cannabusiness industry. That means, it will be taking on a role in the cannabusiness sector that has nothing to do with actually touching the cannabis plant itself.

All of the other aspects of the cannabusiness industry like the health, financial services, media, technology and laboratory tech verticals are going to be subject to investments by Casa Verde Capital.

In essence, Snoop’s venture fund is going to be investing into the pick and shovel side of the cannabis industry.

It’s Just the Start

The company initially had a hard time to raise the capital funding they feel will be helpful to grow the nascent legal cannabusiness sector but last year saw a sudden growth in investments with most of the $45 million coming in.

Snoop’s involvement in venture capital is definitely one of the biggest contributing factors to the venture fund’s growth.

Even though $45 million is a significant milestone for the venture fund to reach, it is only the beginning with the ancillary model that the firm is using being an effective one. As it stands, the Casa Verde Capital fund’s investment portfolio has companies like Greenbits, Leaflink, Merry Jane and Eaze with many more to come.

The diversity of the portfolio is a strong indicator of the potential growth of the cannabusiness industry and the overall change in perception towards cannabis.

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