On October 11, 2022, the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), the Arturo Jauretche National University and the High Complexity public Hospital El Cruce Dr. Néstor Carlos Kirchner, together with the National Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, announced the creation of a technology-based state company called “Cannabis CONICET” (hereinafter, the “Company”), which purpose is to promote the medical cannabis and industrial hemp industry in all its stages (i.e., cultivation, production, clinical and industrial use, training and education of human resources and generation of quality and innovation standards).
The creation of the Company is within the scope of Law No. 27,669 enacted in May 2022, complementary to the Medical Cannabis Law No. 27,350, enacted in 2017, which established the regulatory framework for the development of the medical cannabis and industrial hemp industry. It implied an advance in the regulation of industrial hemp production, seeking to strengthen it with a new legal framework that is more contemplative and with a productive vision in Argentina. Law No. 27,669 has not been regulated thus far.
The Company foresees the integration of knowledge and technological development associated with medical cannabis, industrial hemp and its derivatives. The Company seeks to consolidate the cannabis industry at the federal level, in combination with the promotion of education in this area, through training courses and diploma courses to guarantee the intervention of specialized human resources.
Another of the Company’s lines of work will be advising researchers and assisting in the design of observational studies to add evidence on the therapeutic effects of cannabis in various pathologies, measuring its efficacy, possible adverse effects and necessary doses, among other medicinal aspects.
The Company will also be responsible for the development of “CONICET seeds” and the registration of new cultivars for research. The main objective is to stimulate new lines of cannabis seeds generated in various ecoregions of the country, enabling and ensuring their traceability.
In addition, the Company will have a service area where its technicians will be in charge of performing a standardized quality control to determine the concentration of active ingredients (cannabinoids and terpenes) and the presence of possible contaminating compounds (pesticides, metals, solvents and adulterants).
