BOGOTÁ, Colombia, Feb. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Ecomedics S.A.S., (“Clever Leaves” or the Company”), a leading vertically-integrated Colombian licensed producer of pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis serving the global market, has become the first Colombian company authorized to export cannabis into Canada. This will be the first inter-permit to bring cannabis into Canada for scientific purposes from Colombia.
“This is a milestone in the history of Colombia and the medical cannabis industry, as it illustrates that Colombia is positioned to become a global leader in a highly technical industry. Foreign investment, job creation, innovation in pharmaceutical technology are just some of the benefits that Clever Leaves generates for the country and the global cannabis and pharmaceutical markets,” says Andrés Fajardo, CEO of Clever Leaves.
Health Canada, Canada’s government agency responsible for national public health and oversight of the medical cannabis industry, issued six authorizations to Clever Leaves on January 16 to import dry cannabis flower for scientific purposes. On January 29, the Colombian National Narcotics Fund (El Fondo Nacional de Estupefacientes or the “FNE”) granted the approvals necessary to export the material from Colombia. Clever Leaves will begin the export in mid-February.
“Colombia has the unique potential to become a global leader in the cannabis value chain, creating a sustainable plank of economic development for the country. As the demand for medical cannabis increases, Clever Leaves has the advantage to position itself as the leading exporter for pharmaceutical-grade cannabis,” says Kyle Detwiler, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Swan Holdings, Inc. (“Northern Swan”), Clever Leaves´ financial sponsor that helped secure the import permit with Health Canada.
Clever Leaves met all the requirements of Health Canada to obtain the import permit, which demonstrates the high quality of its cultivation practices, extraction facilities, operating procedures, and management team. The company is currently cultivating medical cannabis in the first phase of a 1.5 million square foot agricultural production facility.
Colombia has worked diligently in recent years to become one of the most sophisticated and comprehensive medical cannabis markets in the Southern Hemisphere. With a clear regulatory framework and the potential for large-scale, low-cost production, Colombia could become one of the largest global export leaders of medical cannabis.