In the parish of El Progreso in Nabon, the company Ecuannabismedica, in southern Ecuador, has exported five tons of non psychoactive cannabis to the United States. The shipment consisted of biomass, meaning harvested plant material such as leaves and stems that contain CBD.

The company was founded in 2022 and has been operational since 2023. It was created by Xavier Tenorio and holds type 3 and type 5 licenses from the Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries. These licenses allow the production and processing of non psychoactive cannabis.

Cultivation takes place under greenhouse across two hectares, with plans to expand into open field cultivation to meet growing international demand. Tenorio says the United States has shown interest in receiving as much as one hundred fifty tons per year. The company plans to increase its production capacity to ten hectares in Nabon and Sevilla de Oro, and is also looking to enter the markets of Brazil and Portugal. About twenty two people work at the Nabon site, including agricultural technicians and local administrative staff. The team handles both raw material production and the development of a line of processed products. Agronomist Jose Mejia notes that each production cycle lasts about four months with an average yield of five tons per hectare. Eighty five percent of the water used comes from stored rainwater.

Ecuannabismedica has developed products registered with ARCSA, including lotions, bath salts, balms and soaps. Alongside these the company also offers dried flowers for infusions and extracts. Plans are underway to launch more products, including therapeutic patches, chocolate and supplements.

The company works with the University of Cuenca to study the use of cannabis bagasse as animal feed and with the University of Azuay on alternative energy projects. Ecuannabismedica operates under good practice standards and holds a carbon footprint certification.

Roxana Torres, director of the Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries in Azuay, confirmed that the company complies with all required permits and highlighted the relevance of cannabis cultivation in the region. The industrial plant, set to open in 2026, will improve cannabinoid extraction. The company also plans to apply for a type 2 license to complete its production chain. The non psychoactive cannabis sector in Ecuador is regulated by Ministerial Accord 109 2020, which covers production and export procedures. The company is currently in talks to export one hundred fifty tons per year to the United States, a volume equal to twenty percent of the total exported by Ecuador.

Source: elmercurio.com.ec




Frontpage photo: © Dreamstime



Publication date:

Fri 21 Nov 2025