The history of colonialism and natural resource pillage has left an indelible mark on the people of South America. In the 21st century, commodities for export like soy, cane and corn, have become a dominant driver of economic growth and at the same time, a means to fund social policy, pay insurmountable amounts of debt and stabilize the national balance of payments -the difference between the inflow and outflow of foreign exchange.
As legalization advances in the region, cannabis exports are often portrayed as the golden ticket to solving development challenges such as attracting foreign direct investments, gaining liquidity in foreign currency, adding value to their production and transitioning to greener agricultural practices.
