National Industrial Hemp Council of America, Cannabis Costa Rica Council Partner

The National Industrial Hemp Council of America (NIHC) and the Hemp and Cannabis Costa Rica Council (HCANN-CR) announced today that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate on issues including improving the quality of hemp research, marketing, networking, and consumer protection services to strengthen and advance the brand of hemp in the global marketplace.

“As NIHC continues to increase our global footprint, partnering with HCANN-CR presents a tremendous opportunity to promote American hemp in the Western Hemisphere,” said Patrick Atagi, president and CEO of the National Industrial Hemp Council of America. “Working directly with our colleagues in Costa Rica will be a value add for American hemp producers with additional research opportunities and brand promotion to promote the hemp economy in both countries.”

HCANN-CR and NIHC intend to strengthen the relationships between the organizations to improve the quality of hemp research, marketing, networking, and consumer protection services to advance the brand of hemp domestically and internationally. Together, they hope to identify and seek funding opportunities through numerous private, non-profit, and governmental organizations to increase the quality of industrial hemp research guiding public policy in both countries.

“This alliance enhances the historical commercial partnership between the United States of America and Costa Rica,” said Roy Thompson, chairman of HCANN-CR. “The global hemp industry can help create thousands of jobs in Costa Rica, generating economic and social benefits for our population and the access to better and safer products for the consumers around the world. We recognize the American hemp industry as a global leader in technology, standards, and the importance of the environment as a priority. We are united by history, commerce, and values. We celebrate this agreement with great excitement.”

NIHC already participates with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the Market Access Program (MAP) and has written a unified export strategy for the markets of Europe and Asia. While the agreement announced today between the two parties is not part of a cooperative agreement with the MAP program, NIHC can nonetheless rely on experiences in working with foreign governments overseas and utilize best practices in the international marketplace to develop more networking opportunities and open further markets in Costa Rica for hemp producers in the United States.

The Costa Rican government recently approved the cultivation, processing, storage and transportation of cannabis production including industrial hemp. The new Costa Rican law does not allow for the recreational use of higher-THC cannabis.