Licenses for hemp in Costa Rica will be free.

by Therin Miller | September 21, 2022

Earlier this month, free hemp licenses in Costa Rica are implemented, according to Costa Rican News reports. President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, leaders of the portfolios of agriculture and livestock, Laura Bonilla, and health Yoselyn Chacón have all approved the regulations.

Based on a press release from the News, the rules apply to any natural persons or organizations that wish to import, cultivate, harvest, post-harvest, store, transport, process, manufacture, market, import, or export hemp derivatives as medical, food, or industrial items.

The permits are issued for six years and are renewable for an additional six. According to the article, licensees will be permitted to plant, grow, harvest, import, transport, and market hemp plants as raw materials for processing and purchasing seeds, seedlings, cuttings, or any other hemp propagation material.

Once published in the official newspaper, La Gaceta, the regulation will go into effect.

In an Attaché Report issued to the United States, Costa Rican lawmakers ratified the changes to the country's hemp laws in April after more than three years of legislative work. Foreign Agricultural Service of the Department of Agriculture also claimed that officials wanted to approve the first batch of regulations by May 8.

President Rodrigo Chaves declared last month that he intended to push for adult-use legislation. He would soon present the country's medical cannabis regulations. Chaves hasn't given any further information about what such improvements would entail.