Belize’s Hemp Industry Holds Potential but Faces Challenges, Says Minister Musa

Belize is continuing its exploration into the hemp industry and how the country can capitalize on the emerging products and use for hemp.  Back in 2017, Belize decriminalized ten grams of cannabis per person followed by the passing of legislation of industrial hemp.  Following Covid-19 in 2020, the Ministry of New Growth Industries was established with the hemp industry being one of its first fresh ideas to increase revenues.  Minister Kareem Musa was a panelist on the first of a series on hemp held online last night.  According to Musa, currently there are an estimated 36 licenses issued in the country but with limited knowledge on how to move forward, the industry is yet to be fully explored in Belize.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs: “Hemp is a versatile variety of the cannabis sativa plant species cultivated for non-intoxicating industrial and commercial use. Unlike marijuana, hemp is grown for its strong fibers, nutritious seeds, and valuable oils. Hemp now across the world is defined as the cannabis which contains under 0.3% of THC. And that is very critical when we look at the regulation side of things, because whenever someone applies for a hemp license in Belize, it is absolutely necessary because we have not gone to the stage of legalizing cannabis fully we have to ensure that the plants are actually yielding 0.3% or below THC in order for it to maintain that hemp status as opposed to going into cannabis. But there are many uses as you might have seen. The primary uses for hemp includes fiber, so we’re talking about clothing, we’re talking about textiles, rope, paper products, we’re talking about the seeds that come from hemp which are rich in essential nutrients and can be consumed raw, pressed for oil or ground into protein rich flour-based food products like hemp milk, protein bars, and snacks. And so there is just a huge multiple uses for hemp, for fiber, for seeds, for CBD oil. And I think that is one of the new and exciting products that will be launched by Tropical Health, and I’m sure Lorena can speak more on behalf of the company. With the CBD oils that are extracted from the flowers and leaves and that oil is, of course, as many might know, popular for its potential wellness benefits, such as reducing anxiety, improving sleep, and managing pain. And then, of course, there’s this new phenomenon known as Hemcrete. So we all know that construction traditionally has been with wood or with cement and concrete but there’s even something known as hempcrete which is extremely sustainable when it comes to building so that is something when we speak about going green for Belize we want to see how we can create a hemp industry that taps into all these various processes and manufacturing elements like fiber, seeds, CBD oil and construction material.”

BAHA’s Hugh O’Brien was also on last night’s panel where he spoke on the major differences between hemp and weed.  He also clarified that hemp can be legally grown in Belize as opposed to marijuana or cannabis but that a hemp license would be required.  With multiple varieties of hemp and marijuana, O’Brien warned that much caution has to be taken before planting.

Hugh Obrien, Chairman, BAHA Board of Directors: “We are advising people who are applying to consider the fact that out there, there are hemp varieties and there are marijuana varieties. And over the course of time, it’s a pity that we have taken so long. One of the reasons why we are very supportive of the Ministry of New Growth Industries is because 25 years ago Belize, we wanted to produce hemp in Belize. But legally speaking, our police, our security forces, our banks, our international partners were not very supportive, even though there was nothing wrong really with growing Hemp because Hemp is only 0.3% of THC. And so, at this stage now, we wanna encourage people to consider the variety that you’re going to plant and across the world in the US, in China in particular, there’s been quite a bit of research done and there are varieties now that are specifically bred to be able to produce high fiber and there are varieties specifically bred to produce high CBD oil. And of course there are varieties bred to produce high THC or marijuana. In fact, in Belize you can get different types of marijuana, obviously because of the level of THC marijuana contains. So once you have that application form filled out and you submit the requisite information, a security check is done on those who are a part of the business proposal and then that is submitted to the Ministry of New Growth Industries which will review your application and will inform you if anything is missing from that application. And following that, there’ll be a meeting of the Hemp Oversight Committee and your application will be either considered stamped approved or disapproved.”

Lorena Garcia is a hemp cultivator over in Mexico and had joined in last night’s conversation.  According to Garcia, it is a costly venture to engage in either the hemp or the marijuana industries.  She noted that there are several approaches that can be taken when pursuing a business in hemp.

Lorena Beltran, Hemp Grower (Tropical Health): “I’ve been in contact with so many growers, master growers around the world and it’s definitely a challenge, and it’s definitely costly. You need an investment really in order to have a business around either hemp or marijuana.”

The webinar was streamed live on the ministry’s Facebook page