With a promising future, industrial hemp exports have already exceeded 2.5 million dollars. July 20, 2020 was documented as the moment in which the first export of industrial hemp from Uruguay took place under the Common Nomenclature (NCM) 1211909020. It was a kilo of “industrial biomass”, which was dispatched by plane from Carrasco airport. The truth is that based on legal definitions that protect this new commercial trend, at the moment Uruguay has exported 20,939 kilos in excess of 2,595,000 dollars. Looking ahead, promising signs appear.

The trade flow achieved in just over three months exceeds, separately, exports of fresh apples and pears, grain sorghum, caviar, furniture, cane sugar and malt beer. Switzerland is the main destination, followed by the Free Zone of the Science Park, located on Route 102, Canelones.

At the moment, Uruguay has 116 licenses granted for the production of industrial hemp, according to a survey by the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries. This includes non-medical products, edible oils, proteins and fibers for industrial use. This number also includes products for scientific research, raw materials and products for medical use and supplies for the pharmaceutical industry and psychoactive drugs for adult use.

A recent technical report prepared by Uruguay XXI reveals that "this market is potentially the country's main agro-industrial export item." In this sense, it is added that the country "already has significant investments in the medical cannabis sector, exclusively oriented towards exports." It also has high potential in other uses, especially food.

Considered a key sector for development and attracting investment, it is indicated that “the use of cannabis as a medicinal plant is based on its content of cannabinoids, a group of chemical compounds that Cannabis sativa is the only plant that produces them in significant quantities ”. In that sense, it is a product that “has been used as a medicinal plant for thousands of years for many ailments, mainly as a pain reliever.

The Uruguay XXI report affirms that there are already significant investments in Uruguay, exclusively oriented towards exports and it is an area in which Uruguay can reap the most tangible results in the short term. It currently has clear advantages over the rest of the Mercosur countries, while other countries such as Chile, Colombia and Mexico are in more advanced stages in the regulation process. In addition to regional competition, the advancement of this industry in countries such as Canada and Israel must be taken into account.

Globally, it is estimated that the medicinal market is the one with the greatest prospects, which allows us to estimate a market of US $ 200,000 million. As a result of this growth, and the opportunities that the country offers, Uruguay XXI developed a strategy to attract investment in this sector. As part of them, this report presents national and international information on the sector, its operation in the country, the main actors involved and the opportunities it offers.

The MGAP specialist, Sergio Vázquez, envisions Switzerland in 2021 as the gateway for flowers for non-medical use and biomass for industry. He also understands that the placement of flowers or biomass for medicinal use and the pharmaceutical industry in Germany will mean an increase in the value of production for Uruguay.