Medical Cannabis: First public-private agreement for research and production in Argentina

Two months after the law which enables medical and scientific research on the use of cannabis and its derivatives, the first public-private agreement was reached. The deal is between the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) and the company Pampa Hemp. They aim to promote domestic production, the development of cultivation techniques, genetic varieties and a seed bank.

These collaborations may be the start of something new, or even the future of Hemp research and development. Stay tuned to our mobile Hemp.IM news app to keep up with the latest developments in local, and global, cannabis world.

Public-private cannabis collaboration begins

According to details from Pampa Hemp -one of the founding companies of the Argentine Chamber of Cannabis- and INTA, the initial focus of the public-private agreement will be on academic research as well as cannabis product research and development (R&D). Improving production activities with the development of cannabis cultivation techniques and the development of different genetic varieties are all top priorities.

Progress will be made in the design of production protocols supported by the integration and development of local traceability technologies, applied artificial intelligence, automation, sensitization and crop monitoring, which will later be scalable at an agronomic level.

As announced, the product(s) obtained will be made available to the network of Argentine public and private laboratories, which will be in charge of producing cannabis oil for medicinal use, which is expected to reach a degree of purity greater than 99 percent.

In a second stage, the objective of INTA + Pampa Hemp will be the development of its own genetic variants for medicinal purposes and other uses, through the stabilization of local varieties and the creation of a cannabis seed bank that will provide germplasm adapted to the conditions of the country’s geography and climate.

Public-private partnership raises challenges and opportunities in cannabis sector

“It is a great challenge and an enormous opportunity both for INTA and for the professionals who will participate in the project,” said Ignacio Terrile, director of the Pergamino Experimental Station (EEA).

Terrile explained the primary objective: “To initiate a process of knowledge generation of high scientific-technological value, fundamental for the development of the industry related to the production of cannabis derivatives in Argentina”.

“From the public-private link, we will have the opportunity to be part of the development, research and national cultivation of cannabis, generating transferable technology that enhances the industry,” stressed the director of the EEA.

“For INTA this is an unprecedented experience, and we are committed to strengthening public-private integration as a strategy to stimulate the innovation that our country needs to boost its insertion in global agro-industrial markets,” Terrile stressed.

Innovation offers capacity to export cannabis to the world

“Argentina is one of the main agro-exporting countries in the world. We have the innovative capacity to export to the world not only our own production but also agricultural, scientific, and technological knowledge, by perfecting our own production models”, explained Sebastián Tedesco and Pablo Fazio, founding partners of Pampa Hemp.

In addition, the directors of Pampa Hemp hope to generate exports of local production, bringing a high quality product, with all the corresponding certifications, to different international markets.

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(Featured image by Pixabay via Pexels)

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First published in Página 12, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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