Consumers are already paying more for organic coffee, organic strawberries and clothing made with organic fibers. Why not organic cannabis?

That’s the thinking of a growing number of producers around the globe looking for a way to distinguish themselves in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

“We believe that in five years everything is going to trend toward organic,” said Boreal Uruguay Chairman Gonzalo Aguiar, whose firm recently opened one of Latin America’s largest cannabis drying facilities. Organic hemp flowers high in CBD already fetch $600,000 to $800,000 per metric ton in Europe. That’s a 30% premium over regular flowers, he said, but growers must be able to document every step — from seed through the drying process.

While information on the market for organic marijuana is scarce, overall demand for cannabis is expected to surge through the middle of the next decade as more countries loosen their drug laws. BDSA, an industry research firm, sees global legal cannabis sales more than tripling from last year to $46.6 billion in 2025.

In Uruguay, cannabis producers can obtain certification from specialists such as Argentina-based Organizacion Internacional Agropecuaria SA. The nation’s seed agency, Inase, also plans to offer organic certification during the first half of next year. [Read More @ Bloomberg]