In just over a year, since January 2021 when the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) began to issue licenses, the non-psychoactive cannabis or hemp industry has advanced in the processes of permits and production of derivatives and even with a new plant and plans to export these products.
The use of medicinal cannabis was included in the Organic Law Reformatory to the Comprehensive Criminal Organic Code of 2019, and in 2020 with Ministerial Agreement 109 to regulate the activity.
Since last year, the MAG has awarded a total of 84 licenses, of which 52 belong to the type 3 license for the cultivation of non-psychoactive cannabis or hemp, 7 to the type 4 license for the cultivation of industrial hemp and 17 to the type 5 license for the processing and production of derivatives.
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It is with this last type of license that the Ecuadorian Association AYA Natural Products (AsoAya), which at the end of last February inaugurated a plant where they develop therapeutic products, food supplements and natural cosmetics, based on the combination of cannabis with sacha inchi, also known as the “Inca peanut”, a plant with a high content of oils with omega 3, 6 and 9 of great importance for nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases.
The factory, located in the Tumbaco sector (near Quito), has an initial capacity for more than 10,000 products per month. Currently the production is at least 40%, because they are already entering stores nationwide.
Andrés Cisneros, general manager of AsoAyarevealed that they have invested more than $350,000 infrastructure, research and product development, as well as plans for marketing and advertising, among others.
“The investments have been made for five years, it started with basic things and a small laboratory, all investment from the partners; then we won the Emprende fund and today we have more specialized machinery, along with a much larger place designed from scratch for the exclusive production of cannabis derivatives,” explained Cisneros, who recalled that the company obtained its legal status in the 2019 in the Superintendence of Popular and Solidarity Economy (SEPS).
AsoAya has three lines of products: the Samay dermatological line for skin care with solid anti-wrinkle, anti-stretch mark, anti-cellulite creams and completely natural micellar water; the Kamana veterinary line with shampoo solid for pets and the cosmetic line Samy, which are bars of shampoo and solid conditioner.
Cisneros pointed out that the type 5 license only allows them to manufacture cannabis derivatives, for which the cannabis flower and biomass are purchased from local producers.
“In Ecuador, the cultivation of cannabis is just beginning, for which the supply of suppliers is still scarce, around $1 per gram of high-quality and organic dry flower is being paid. There are more and more licensees, which is why we expect the cost of raw materials to drop substantially,” said the businessman.
In this regard, the Undersecretary of Agricultural Production of the MAG indicated that there are currently 575.09 hectares (ha) approved with license 3 for the cultivation of non-psychoactive cannabis or hemp, and it is the Producampo company that has the highest percentage of approved planting with 249, 95 ha.
However, for the planting of cannabis for medicinal use, the licensees are in the process of importing seeds and there are few companies that have started planting, so so far there is one hectare of cannabis planted, since the first plantings of the licensees are to carry out small-scale agronomic trials, explained the Undersecretary.
The provinces where the crops are approved are Pichincha, Guayas, Imbabura, Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Azuay, Bolívar, Chimborazo, Los Ríos, Carchi, Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.
María Fernanda León, executive director of Procosméticos Ecuadorstated that this industry has great potential, as he stressed that AYA is not the first plant to produce cosmetics with cannabis.
In 2019, Beautik Laboratories It launched hair products with cannabis ingredients on the market and after this, others have been produced, said León, who in terms of SMEs said that AYA is a great benchmark for how a micro-enterprise can transcend, even with an international vision for the production of this type of product and is doing so with great success and expectation.
The directive recalled that Colombia was one of the first countries to produce cosmetics with cannabis, thanks to the fact that the countries of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) have international regulations that regulate the use of ingredients for cosmetics.
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He explained that CAN Decision 833 establishes the lists of ingredients allowed for the production of cosmetics, and within these lists the ingredients of cannabis already appear, with their respective restrictions, to be used in the formulation.
“Ecuador has already started producing, thanks to Andean regulations, since 2019 and we are positioning ourselves as a country that can offer these products to the world,” said the director of Procosméticos, who revealed that the sector is working to ensure that the supranationality of international standards and agreements, and thus continue to enhance cosmetics with cannabis, which according to her must already respond to various export commitments with foreign buyers.
And the expectations of the industry are high.
Cisneros revealed that they have begun the qualification and certification process for international markets. He indicated that the short-term objective is export.
“The quality and innovation of the products we have developed are for international markets, which is why we were selected to participate in the largest cosmetic fair in the world, Cosmoprof 2022 in Bologna, Italy, where we are going to exhibit our work and open international markets for the country”, assured the businessman. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
