Colombia is turning into a major medical marijuana producer

Due to government bureaucracy in Colombia, it can take months or years for startups to secure the proper permits and licenses
NPR (US)
Saturday, September 7, 2019

colombia clever leaves facilityOther countries are passing laws to permit the production, import and export of medical marijuana but Colombia has a leg up because it did so three years ago, says Rodrigo Arcila, president of the Colombian Cannabis Industry Association. He said the group's 29 member companies have invested more than $600 million in building medical marijuana facilities. Arcila maintains that Colombia can produce cannabis products at lower prices than competitors due to affordable land, relatively low wages and an abundance of skilled farm hands who cut their teeth in Colombia's booming flower business. As an emerging venture it's unclear how the medical marijuana business will play out.