Exclusive: Humboldt Seed Company Seeks To Register Cannabis Strains In Colombia

By El Planteo.

Humboldt Seed Company (HSC) is working with Natureceuticals RX and Federico Cock, a pioneer in the cannabis legalization movement in Colombia, to register a large number of cannabis strains under the Colombian licensing regime. HSC will be the first to register auto-flowering strains in Colombia.

Ben Lind, Chief Scientific & Administrative Officer of Humboldt Seed Company, is leading the R+D and registration of the strains in Colombia and works directly with the government on the proceedings. Lind's knowledge of the process and general characteristics of the market allows him to explain how the export market works and what it means for global competition. In addition, he recognizes the potential effects on Canadian exports and offers insights into what the future will look like for companies wishing to participate in the Colombian market.

Colombia treats cannabis like corn or soybeans, or any other traditional agricultural commodity. The Latin American country also boasts the world's highest standards for cannabis genetics, as the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) requires growers to cultivate a set of genetics in multiple climatic zones for evaluation before registration is granted. This process involves a large capital outlay and a considerable amount of time. This is because the plants must be grown to maturity, tested, and then destroyed.

Agronomists examine the overall health of the crop, evaluate growing methods, consider disease resistance, and perform extensive laboratory testing. Once this official evaluation process is completed, all crops are destroyed. Then, when the genetics meet all government requirements, they can be legally registered and grown.

More About Ben Lind, Chief Scientific Officer, Humboldt Seed Company

Ben Lind has been immersed in the culture of cannabis cultivation and breeding in Northern California for the past 14 years. He first became interested in breeding and preserving the genetics of ancient landraces after a stint as a paleoecologist in Mongolia. There, Ben worked with the Smithsonian while at the University of Pittsburgh.

Photo by Mike Rosati

Through his research on ancient cemeteries, he learned how cannabis was grown, stored, and used by primitive populations. This led to his passion for saving landrace breeds and his interest in using ancient genetics as the basis for creating the varieties of the future. Preserving the genetics of unique bioregions, such as Jamaica and South Africa, has become an area of special interest.

Lind's primary goal remains to bring the rigorous analytical protocols developed by the Humboldt Seed Company to emerging markets around the world, as well as to work closely with international policymakers.

Photo: Courtesy Of Mauricio Name, founder and CEO of Natureceuticals-RX, by Dakota Mclearn.