Argentina is set to begin its first foray into the global cannabis industry with a new industrial park for cannabis processing and cultivation located in the municipality of San Pedro. The park is currently pending approval from the federal government.
As part of a public-private initiative led by the company Clúster Agroindustrial y Tecnológico del Cannabis, the park will offer huge benefits to all stakeholders within the cannabis supply chain, from cultivators to processors to academic researchers developing new products.
The all-encompassing project will not only specialize in the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, but also the industrial utility of Cannabis sativa in creating cosmetics, bioplastics, building materials, and food products.
The industrial center’s newly appointed president Pablo Fazio shared his thoughts on the project:
“This is probably one of the most ambitious cannabis projects in Latin America, where the State assumes a central role as coordinator, facilitator, and organizer of the activity, generating the appropriate incentives for the private sector to find the most conducive environment to develop their activities, innovate, create added value, produce, and go out to put Argentina in an important place in the global cannabis industry.”
Prior to becoming president of the new entity, Fazio spoke with the Mayor of San Pedro, Cecilio Salazar, who it turns out is something of a cannabis pioneer in Argentina. San Pedro had already been working on a cannabis-related industrial project.
Indeed, San Pedro is a prime location for cannabis cultivation and processing since it is nestled on the banks of the Paraná River, which provides natural ports for trade dating back to 1748. One could not ask for a better location to launch the project.
“We have a strategic location, equidistant from the most important ports in the country; we have professionals and labor skilled in intensive crops; and we have high hopes in the reactivation of the agro-industrial sector,” Salazar said.
In addition to functioning as an industrial center, the park will also host civil organizations aiming to produce cannabis for community and solidarity purposes.
For Argentina, this is a huge step forward in joining other Latin American nations in the rapidly growing global cannabis industry.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
