Anita Criollo cuts the leaves of a bush cannabis oregon type cherry and leaves the flower and only a few leaves around it, to avoid stress for the plant. He puts it in nutrient-rich soil and fertilized with a rooting agent so that cutting becomes a new plant. She, an agronomist, is the owner of the growing area for production medical cannabis in the company Cannandes, knows and explains the technical procedures of crop propagation, both with seeds and cuttings.

Together with a team of at least 14 people, he carries out the process of cultivation and production of medicinal cannabis at this farm located in Canton of Pedro Moncayo, in the province of Pichincha. Among other things, they are in charge of irrigation, fertilizer application, pest and disease monitoring, cultural work, land measurement and oxygenation. Another group of people harvests, dries, presses, obtains CBD and produces final products: droppers, tea, cosmetics… Part of the crop is also dried to be sold in the form of buds (flowers) or biomass (almost powder) to consumers of raw materials who in turn produce other drugs.

The first export of Ecuadorian cannabis has arrived in Switzerland

Cannandes already exported to Switzerland and is in negotiations to enter the American market. is part of a group Boutique Flowers, with 25 years in the flower market, but that three years ago she decided to deal with the topic of cannabis. Now both companies share the land, but the flower occupies 8 hectares, while the cannabis still only one hectare.

Meanwhile, in the canton Rumiñahui, in the area of ​​Cotogcho (also in Pichincha), is a greenhouse of 1300 meters CBD Solutions, Non-Psychoactive Cannabis, under the strict care of Héctor Mor, her manager. On the farm, he is in charge of the process of growing cherry and taita plants.

The company CBD Solutions is dedicated to the cultivation, transformation and processing of cannabis, and Héctor Mora is in charge of it. Photo: Carlos Granja Medranda

CBD Solutions was born and strengthened, according to Mora, thanks to the help of her grandmother Esther, who always promoted cannabis ointment for muscle and joint pain. This family-owned company, in addition to its exclusive offer, also works in the field of tourism and education, which is why it welcomes visitors with kombucha (a fermented drink with CBD), which is not lacking in teas, chocolates, and even CBD cigarettes. All legal products with appropriate health documentation.

Mora says that they are currently negotiating to enter the European and American markets, and for now they supply different clients who also produce different products.

Both farms, Cannandes and CBD solutions, They are part of a growing industry movement that includes farms, manufacturing processes, and extends to grocery stores, restaurants, and even herbal pharmacies. The cannabis market in Ecuador has been slowly making inroads since 2019, when the use of the plant for medicinal purposes was decriminalized.

The legalization of planting, growing and harvesting cannabis in Ecuador has come into effect

Both farms have mandatory licenses issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and ensure that their products meet standards of being non-psychoactive by having less than 1% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the plant’s psychoactive compound), according to Ecuadorian regulations. .

On farms, the 12 hours of light that medical cannabis plants can get in the equatorial region of the planet is a plus in this fledgling industry in the country. It is that the production of this green plant with jagged and jagged leaves, which is currently legalized for medicinal purposes, requires long days of light (at least 18 hours) to complete the vegetative process and then go through the flowering process.

A cannabis plant needs at least 18 hours of light to complete its vegetative process and then go through the flowering process. Photo: Carlos Granja Medranda

So with this good geographical feature, which is not marked by weather seasons, the number of farms has increased. While in 2021 there were now 34 licensed farms Already now they reach 160 licensees. Of this, 60% is in Pichincha, 35% in Guayas and Manabi, and the remaining 5% in other provinces of the country, according to data from Ecuadorian Cannabis Industry Association (Asecanna).

Lizbeth Fajardo, president of the Association, Note that the numbers show a growing industry. There are also product lines that are developed in factories or laboratories, and there are many of them 250 products with sanitary registration, between food, drinks, cosmetics. In addition, there are three cannabis product stores and only one pharmacy in the country, where master recipes for various ailments are developed. There are even themed restaurants that focus on cannabis products, he says.

The Ecuadorian cosmetics industry is starting to use cannabis as a raw material

The union is constantly working to innovate and improve standards so that it can grow in industrialization at some point. For now, the creation of a cannabis route is being considered, which consists of visits to farms, but also to the cannabis museum and other processes of socializing the benefits of the plant in the medicinal area. It is about the fact that cannabis, according to research, can regulate the endocannabinoid system of a human being, which regulates key issues in life, such as appetite, memory, reaction to pain, humor, metabolism, among others.

Investments in this market are also growing. So far, investments have been made for 25 million dollars, but there are investment programs, the Ministry of Production reported A $63 million future.