A marijuana harvest festival in a region of Paraguay typically associated with drug trafficking has spurred optimism among local farmers that the plant may soon be legalized, allowing them to cultivate it for medicinal purposes.
The rural village of Aguerito in eastern Paraguay welcomed hundreds of tourists over the weekend for a “cannabis tour” of farms operating in a legal grey area: medicinal cannabis has been authorized in the country since 2017, but it must be imported. Nowadays, local cultivation is not permitted.
The farmers who hosted the gathering belong to a group that has abandoned traditional agriculture in favor of marijuana cultivation. They hope that the festival will attract the attention of legislators and encourage them to support new legislation that will aid small farms.
A law intended to regulate the burgeoning sector from seeds to sales was introduced to Congress at the end of 2022, but its likelihood of passage is uncertain.
Paraguay is already a big producer and exporter of illegally supplied cannabis, primarily to Brazil and other South American nations.
“When we moved here 32 years ago, there was already marijuana in the neighborhood,” said farmer Eulalio Lopez. “But we were hesitant to use it, and we didn’t even discuss it at the time. It was merely a weed.”
A handful of labs import cannabis for lawful medicinal use into Paraguay, but sell it at excessive costs, according to Jorge Rolon, the legal consultant for the growers.
“Our country has enormous potential,” he remarked, praising the South American country’s fertile soil and potent produce. It is an opportunity that Paraguay cannot pass up.
