Biopiracy

Biopiracy refers to the misappropriation (illegal and/or unethical) of genetic resources (like seeds) and associated traditional knowledge, typically from Indigenous Peoples and local communities —including small farmers and peasants. Misappropriation means collecting, utilizing, and making money with the seeds and/or the knowledge associated, without the free, prior, and informed consent of the people who have maintained the seed (its characteristics, its stability & diversity, its ecosystems) and without fair and equitable benefit-sharing.

In the case of Cannabis sativa L., this concerns landraces, traditional cultivars, and generations of accumulated knowledge on cultivation and uses that risk being patented, trademarked, or otherwise appropriated by third parties without recognition or benefit to the communities who developed them.

Actions against biopiracy are closely interconnected with the safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of Cannabis peoples.

The Cannabis Embassy monitors biopiracy risks affecting Cannabis genetic resources and traditional knowledge, particularly within the frameworks discussed at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the new international Treaty on Genetic Resources & Associated Traditional Knowledge (GRATK).