Referendum question: Should the number of members of the Nat’l Assembly be reduced? Nabón exports five tons of non-psychoactive cannabis

Referendum –
¿Sirve reducir asambleístas? (Is it useful to reduce the number of assembly members?) – Question C on the Referendum proposes to reduce the number of legislators in the Asamblea Nacional from 151 to 73. The 73 would be composed of 10 national representatives, 57 to represent provinces, and 6 for electoral districts overseas. Although analysts interviewed agreed that this question has a high probability of being approved, given the level of rejection <low approval levels?> that the Assembly has, they also agree that reducing the number of assembly members is not enough, nor does it guarantee that legislative quality will improve.

Ecuador’s National Assembly

According to the appendix of the question, the Government feels that there is a distortion in representation and that the current conformation of the Asamblea violates the equality of votes where small provinces can be worth 15.4 times more than large ones. <Kind of like small US states getting the same number of senators as large states?> However, for Andrea Coronel, a researcher from the Legislative Observatory, the new structure of the legislature as proposed in the referendum will affect small provinces where representation will be diminished. According to the Government proposal, the most populated provinces will have a 50% reduction in assembly people, but the difference will be noticed most in small provinces. In the cases of Santa Elena, Cañar, Bolívar, Sucumbíos, Morona Santiago, Orellana, Carchi, Napo, Pastaza, Zamora Chinchipe and Galápagos, they would have only one assembly person. This is contrasted with the Ecuadorians living overseas who would have 3 (sic) representatives.

Coronel explained that this new Assembly conformation would benefit national political organizations because with the change, it would be expected that there would only be space for two parties or movements. That would leave aside local parties and those representing minorities. According to data from the Legislative Observatory, Ecuador is in the regional average in terms of legislative representation. If the number of legislators is reduced, there would be underrepresentation, which will affect the exercise of democratic rights.

For ex-assemblyman Jorge Pinto, the reduction in numbers will let the provinces know what their representatives really do, since currently, many do very little or nothing at all. Many who arrive do nothing for their voters and by reducing the numbers, they will become more visible and be obliged to work on their leadership skills. Political analyst Pedro Valverde agrees with this vision and thinks that more than the number of legislators, what matters is the quality of the legislators. Some who wind up in office forget what their constituents need, they have their own agenda and the first thing they do is either align with the Government or the opposition. He said we need to understand that the quality of the Asamblea is a reflection of society which is in a crisis of values, principles, conduct, culture and academic formation. <And I think (as if you care or even want to read my opinion) that combined with elimination of public funding, a reduction in the number of legislatures will only make it easier and cheaper for special interests to further their profit-driven agenda at the expense of the taxpayers.>

Curious? –
Nabón exporta 5 t de cannabis no psicoactivo (Nabón exports 5 tons of non-psychoactive cannabis) – Ecuannabis Médica is a business started by Cuencano Xavier Tenorio, and is the first in the South to export non-psychoactive cannabis. Its first shipment of 5 tons of biomass went to the US in the beginning of this month. The company started in 2023 after a year of preparation and works under licences issued by the Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG). It grows the product in 2 hectares of covered greenhouses, and wants to expand to outdoor growing to meet demand. Their medium range goal is to export 150 tons annually to the US. 22 people work at their property in the El Progreso Parish in Nabón, 43 miles south of Cuenca.

Agronomic engineer José Mejia, explained that the plant is well adapted to grow in Andean soils and 85% of the water they used is from rainwater reservoirs. Average yield is 5 tons per hectare every 4 months. <Sounds like a moneymaker.> They have an agreement with the U. of Azuay (UDA) to promote alternative energy projects in solar and wind to power their facilities. The business uses best agricultural and manufacturing practices and has a carbon footprint certificate.

Besides the biomass they export, the company has developed 4 products including an alcoholic lotion for joint pain, bath salts, lip balm, and an anti-acne soap. Under development are another 10 products including an anti-aging serum, facial tonic, gum for insomnia, patches for muscle pain, and functional chocolate. <I have no idea what the last one is.> The company plans on signing an agreement with Horchatas Nabón to make teas with cannabis and medicinal herbs and in the first quarter of 2026, it expects to launch oral drops with therapeutic purposes for insomnia, stress, and pain.

Nothing is wasted. The company is doing research with the U. of Cuenca into using the bagasse or fiber leftover from the extraction process as animal feed. The bagasse has high nutritional value with 10% fiber, 18% protein, and minerals such as iron, zinc, and magnesium. You can buy their products at the Mall del Río, Acanastore, and Phytopharma with the expectation that Farmasol will join the retail outlets. They will strengthen their on-line presence in 2026. <Sounds like an investment opportunity if they ever go public.>