Today, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall met with members of an organisation called the Guyana Hemp Industry. This organisation seeks the Government’s support in cultivating hemp on a plantation scale in Guyana.
While in Opposition, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Bharrat Jagdeo, met with the organisation and many others promoting hemp and had promised that once elected, a PPP/C Government will work with them in exploring the possibility of growing hemp in Guyana.
The Chairman of the Guyana Hemp Industry, Mr. Michael Kirton, expressed appreciation to the Attorney General for his prompt response to a letter from the Guyana Hemp Industry seeking the meeting. He further lamented that the APNU+AFC Government never responded to any of their correspondences, nor facilitated a meeting with the Guyana Hemp Industry over the last five years and thanked the
Attorney General for not only responding to their letter within 24 hours, but for meeting with them within one week.
The Chairman and other members explained the multiple uses to which hemp can be put, the world market demands for the product and the hundreds of jobs that it can
create for Guyanese.
The Attorney General instructed that the organisation and its international sponsors based in North America provide the Government with a scientific report of the
proprietary makeup of hemp and a feasibility study of the production of hemp in Guyana. The study must also indicate the benefits that will accrue to the local economy, including, job creating opportunities for Guyanese.
It was agreed that this information would be supplied by the 31st October 2020, after which same will be submitted to Cabinet for consideration and directions on the way forward.
There are several organisations and persons, locally, who are canvasing for the Government’s support in cultivating hemp in Guyana, espousing the great benefits that
it will bring to the local economy.
Advocates of hemp production contend that hemp can be used to produce over 50,000 different items, including, textiles, paper, industrial materials, building materials,
food, body care products and animal feed and that the production is organic and requires no chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides.
