On January 23, 2023, by means of Decree No. 30/2023, the Executive Branch appointed the authorities for the Regulatory Agency of the Hemp Industry and Medical Cannabis – ARICCAME (hereinafter, the “Agency”), and provided the powers and duties of the Agency’s authorities and the rules of operation.
The Agency was created within the framework of Law No. 27,669, enacted in May 2022 (complementary of the Medical Cannabis Law No. 27,350, enacted in 2017), which establishes the regulatory framework for the chain of production and national commercialization and/or for export purposes, of the cannabis plant, its seeds and derived products affected to medicinal, scientific research and industrial use.
One of the main functions of the Agency is to regulate and control the productive activity of the cannabis industry, the commercialization and distribution of cannabis for medicinal and industrial use in the national territory, and the control and issuance of administrative authorizations for the use of the cannabis plant and cannabis seeds and their derivative products. The Agency also oversees all matters related to the registration, control and traceability of seeds, critical inputs and products derived from cannabis, within the framework of a duly authorized and enabled industrial process. In summary, all individuals or companies whose activities fall under the cannabis regulations must be priorly authorized by the Agency.
By means of this decree, the Agency’s authorities are: President: Franciso José Echarren; Vice President: Dr. Marcelo Morante; and Directors: Mr. Gabriel Gimenez, Ms. Mercedes La Gioiosa and Ms. Valeria Inés Rudoy, who will serve ad honorem. Annexes I, II and III of the Decree provide a detail of the functions of each of the authorities.
On January 26, 2023, the first Working Group of the Agency initiated its activities, with the participation of the Minister of Health, the Minister of Security, the Minister of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the President of the Agency.
