Why is the experience of the development of modern cannabis growing in the Republic of Fiji interesting?

The government of the country has initiated a study aimed at exploring the potential of modern cannabis farming as a highly profitable agricultural sector of the island nation, with appropriate funding from the state budget for 2021-2022.

On the pages of the specialized electronic publication of national cannabis growers, the question has been raised more than once that in economically developed countries, when forming a regulatory framework that regulates various aspects of modern cannabis farming, government officials primarily think about the domestic producer. In various countries, the agenda in this market is initiated and promoted by government agencies specializing in issues related to agriculture or the processing of plant raw materials.and not health problems. Unfortunately, in our country, since 2016, it is not an independent state structure (as provided by UN documents) that deals with the issues of amending the regulatory framework in the field of modern cannabis farming, but a department controlled by the Ministry of Health, which lobbies the interests of primarily foreign pharmaceutical companies. It was definitely possible to speak about the formation of a regulatory and legal framework to the detriment of national agricultural producers after the approval of the Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 52 - 2018, which significantly complicated the conduct of modern cannabis growing in Ukraine and should be substantively approved after the Ministry of Health initiates amendments to p. 37 PKMU 589-2009, the adoption of which can destroy at least half of the modern hemp market in Ukraine.

Fiji plans to “launch” a modern cannabis market, Attorney General and Minister of Economy Ayaz Sayed-Khayyum told the country's parliament. According to him, the strategy does not apply to the cultivation of recreational marijuana or cannabis, which are high in THC, which can allegedly be effectively used for medicinal purposes. Instead, the forthcoming state program will focus on the production of products from industrial hemp fiber, as well as products that use hemp grains, primarily as food.

In addition, government officials say the government has initiated a study to explore the potential of modern cannabis farming as a highly profitable agricultural sector in the island nation, with appropriate funding from the state budget for 2021-2022.

According to Mr. Ayyaz Sayed-Khayyum, government officials in Fiji will build on the recommendations of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization as they develop laws for a program to develop industrial cannabis in the country. It is already clear that the legislative acts of Fiji, regulating strict control over drug trafficking, need to be amended in order to provide opportunities for the smooth production and sale of industrial products made from technical hemp. Among other things, it is necessary to analyze the possibilities of cannabis growing in Fiji, as well as understand the sales markets in order to find your place in the global cannabis market. In particular, in the course of communication with representatives of the media, the minister said that “it is necessary to see where it is best to grow industrial hemp, when, for example, to plant it. We need to look at the markets, who will buy it, where we can sell it; we must take into account the needs for climate and soil. " Therefore, the Fiji Ministry of Agriculture, local authorities and various international organizations should be consulted, and the private sector should explore the potential of the hemp plant to develop production capacity and attract investment.

Commentary of the specialists of the Association "Ukrainian technical hemp"

The Fiji government said expanding the agricultural sector is necessary to reduce the country's dependence on tourism, which accounts for nearly 40% of GDP. This is due to the fact that the critical dependence of the country's economy on tourism has shown itself sharply negatively during the crisis associated with the coronavirus pandemic. Fiji's economy is based on the cultivation of a large number of agricultural crops, including spices, nuts, fruits and vegetables, therefore, the reference point for the cultivation of industrial crops of industrial hemp, declared by government officials of the country, is a reflection of the government's policy in this area of ​​management - the cultivation and processing of the most profitable crops.

I would like to draw your attention to the information contained in this publication that government officials in Fiji, in search of their place in the global hemp market, do not rely on pharmaceuticals or medical products made from hemp raw materials. First of all, the government of the island state focuses on the use of those constituents of the plant for which the country's producers will have a demand - grain and fibrous part. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that once again the rule “we dance from the consumer” is confirmed, ie. planning of Fiji's national policy in the field of modern cannabis production will be based primarily on the recommendations of the relevant UN departments, taking into account the analysis carried out by national experts from the country's Ministry of Agriculture, which will be funded from the state budget.

Subject analysis of the risks that the national cannabis market will face if the changes initiated by the Ministry of Health are adopted in paragraph 37 of the PKMU 589-2009 will be carried out as part of the training of students of the Hemp University . Considering the fact that, based on the results of one of the streams of students of the "Hemp University" through the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, proposals were developed and sent to the Ministry of Health on amendments to the PKMU 589-2009, which are only partially reflected in the draft amendments to the PKMU initiated by At the moment, the Ministry of Health, the specialized association of national cannabis growers will raise the issue before the Ministry of Agrarian Policy about the need to actively participate in amending the above-mentioned Resolution of the CMU, in order to prevent its adoption in the edition that blocks the normal functioning of cannabis growing in Ukraine.