Companies and individuals interested in developing activities related to hemp for food and industrial use and psychoactive cannabis for medicinal and therapeutic use will now be able to manage permits digitally.
The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), and the Costa Rican Drug Institute (ICD), through the Single Investment Window (VUI), have set up a centralized platform for processing authorizations online.
The tool will allow for the management of permits related to the following in a single location:
• Production
• Industrialization
• Import
• Export
• Marketing of hemp and psychoactive cannabis
• Derivative products
No need to travel to complete procedures
With the new system, in-person procedures are eliminated and processes are concentrated on a single digital platform.
According to the institutions, the system includes guided flows and defined requirements that make it easier to understand the procedure.
It also allows users to track the stages, deadlines, and obligations associated with each procedure.
Read about: Costa Rica’s Medical Cannabis Gains International Demand After First European Export
Validity of authorizations
In the case of hemp for food and industrial use, authorizations will be free of charge and will be granted for six years, with the possibility of renewal if current regulations are complied with.
Licenses for psychoactive cannabis for medicinal and therapeutic purposes will also be valid for six years. These include different schemes for small businesses and agricultural producers.
