Anar Artur: “Industrial hemp needs fresh and innovative solutions”

At 37, Anar Artur is one of the most committed voices in the promotion of hemp in Mongolia. With a career that began outside the cannabis industry, Anar decided to leave the office routine to pursue a greater purpose: to educate Mongolian society about the potential of hemp and facilitate access to its production and commercialization. In an interview with CannaReporter®, during the Asia International Hemp Expo & Forum, which took place in November 2024, in Bangkok, Anar revealed that he is developing a mobile application to connect investors and hemp farmers from around the world — with a focus on ordinary people who want to support the industry, even without leaving their jobs.

Mongolia, says Anar, is an ideal territory for hemp cultivation, where the plant has grown wild for thousands of years: “We have the Russian forest producing oxygen, clean lakes, humidity, a perfect temperature and a pollution-free environment,” he says. An advocate of the medicinal use of the plant, but somewhat critical of its recreational consumption, Anar believes that the country can become a hub for clean and sustainable production, even replacing Chinese imports of animal feed. But the sector needs to move forward, or risk missing the international train that is already underway, and implement fresh and innovative solutions.

Among the many dreams he wants to realize, Anar highlights the construction of buildings with hemp, medicines derived from the plant, shelters and hemp-based feed for the more than 60 million head of cattle in Mongolia, which are still heavily dependent on feed imports from China, and the creation of an app to bring together all stakeholders in the sector.

Anar, who likes to be called by his name spelled backwards, Rana, told us more about his plans for the future and how Mongolia currently views the cannabis plant.

Anar Artur at the Asia International Hemp Expo & Forum (AIHEF) in Bangkok. Photo: Laura Ramos | CannaReporter®

Rana, how old are you and what work have you been doing in Mongolia?

I'm 37 years old and I'm currently working with the Mongolian Hemp Industry, but mainly I have experience promoting hemp in Mongolia, going to ministries, explaining what it is. It's not a drug. It's a building material that we need to research. And finally, CBD has been approved in Mongolia. So I think it's going to grow more and more. From there, I saw a lot of challenges and I realized that growing a small plant shouldn't be so complicated. There are a lot of regulations, a lot of things, so I wanted to work on making it easy, transparent and clear for everyone. From there, I came up with the idea of ​​creating an app and then I started talking to web developers, who make apps, and I reached out to them for about two or three months, asking questions, and I found a really good team of developers who I'm now working with to develop an app for the world, for people to use from home. So, for people who work nine to five, who want to support or grow hemp, but they can't afford to quit their jobs. It's a dedication, growing hemp. It takes a lot of challenges. So for those people, who have an extra income of $10,000 or even $30,000, maybe they're interested in this industry. And I want to open the door for those people, you know? Because normally a lot of people go to a million venture capital fund asking for millions and millions of dollars. And the people who know about it, the people who are smart, recognize that there are a lot of challenges in this industry, so they're not willing to invest in such a risky area. That's why there's not a lot of funding coming in. But there are a lot of entrepreneurs, a lot of emerging leaders and people who want to support the hemp industry. For them, these doors need to be open.

And how did you start working with hemp? Has it always been your profession or did you discover it more recently?

No, no. I graduated as a business administrator and worked a lot of corporate jobs from nine to five. Then I decided I needed to do something for myself. I couldn't go on like that. I needed to follow my dreams, you know? So I stopped working there.

And what are your dreams? 

I have many, many dreams, but I also want to do many good things for the people around me. I want to give everyone a comfortable life. That's the most important thing. If everyone around us is comfortable, we are comfortable. This is one part of the dream, but within it there are many dreams. (laughs) So I don't know what will happen in the future.

What didn't you like about your previous job? Working in Mongolia?

Yes, it was in Mongolia, but I'm not the kind of person who sits at a desk, doing the same thing every day. No, that's not for me. I want to be dynamic, I want to travel, I want to do what I like, what I want. And I know that hemp is an incredible plant. You can build a house, you can replace plastic, you can make food, medicine, just with a plant.

“Mongolia can do a lot for the industry. It’s a huge country, the perfect place to grow hemp.”

And how did you discover hemp?

In my family, there are a lot of scientists and biologists, and they taught me a lot about plants. And when I go to the countryside in Mongolia, I see a lot of wild hemp growing. My uncle and my brother explained to me what this plant was, that this is actually a medicine, this and that. And then I studied more and more. I came across sick people, children with epilepsy, who were living in a disastrous environment. The environmental conditions are very difficult and they use chemical drugs to give to the children, but I know that you can extract good medicine from hemp, good CBD, and that it is useful for children. But at that time, it was difficult in Mongolia, because everyone saw it as a dangerous narcotic, etc., and they didn't even understand the difference between hemp and marijuana, which is sold illegally on the streets. There is a big difference. Seven, eight years later, I started a company called Hemp Mongolia. I started making documentaries about this plant, about its differences, and from there, a lot of people showed interest. Then I wanted to meet people from all over the world who wanted to do this; I talked to them and I saw that the problem was the same in all countries. (laughs) So it's better to have an application where there are no problems.

So, is hemp a traditional plant in Mongolia? Can you tell us a little bit more about its use in your country? 

It’s a very old plant, in Mongolia. It’s been growing for thousands of years, I think even before humans. So a lot of scientists have supported it. Some tombs of ancient shamans have been found in Mongolia and you can see the use of cannabis and hemp as medicine, so I think it’s been used historically for a long, long time. But hemp needs fresh and innovative solutions, especially in terms of technology.

And how does the government view this culture today? Has it changed with the ban over the last 100 years? What is the current situation in Mongolia?

Well, in a government there are people working who are more open and more educated, who know how to Google (laughs), but there are also less educated people who don't understand English well, because there is not much literature about cannabis in Mongolian. So it is a challenge for them, but people who understand English can easily use Google and understand the subject. Once they understand it, they support us, but some of them are still somewhat paranoid about it, because of the stigma associated with this plant.

And how much is Mongolia currently producing? You told me that CBD is already regulated.

Yes, it has just been accepted as a supplement and medicine and it is just beginning. Now, big companies are showing great interest in introducing CBD – CBD extract, CBD gummies – into the Mongolian markets. But it is just beginning.

And what do you do in your company? Is it more on the industrial side?

I work more on the industrial side, yes. I want to build good buildings. I've been to a hemp concrete building and it's fascinating. I want hemp to be accepted and widely available in Mongolia as a medicine. I want to build shelters and produce feed for livestock. Mongolia has about 60 million head of cattle and we import a lot of feed for livestock from China. I want to replace their market, try all the possibilities. 

Maybe also beds for the animals, right?

Yes, cattle bedding… I can’t do it all by myself, but I want to meet good professionals who can do it. Not just people with money. No. You know, there are a lot of people with money who come in and destroy the market. So I want to work with the real leaders that you can find here, because they actually produce.

“This big hemp and medicinal cannabis train is already moving very fast. If we are still thinking that 'this drug is dangerous', we are left behind”

You are currently traveling around the world. Compared to Mongolia, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities you see in your country?

Well, Mongolia can do a lot for the industry. It's a huge country, it's the perfect place to grow hemp, because we have the Russian forest behind us, which produces a lot of oxygen, we have big lakes that provide moisture, we have occasional rain during the summer, and it's the perfect temperature for hemp. It's not too hot, there's no mold on the plants, and the plant is already growing naturally in the country. So it's perfect. And if you think about the capacities, there's over 1 million hectares. It's huge! If China somehow realizes that this is a medicine and everyone in China starts using it as medicine, where are they going to get that amount of it? We have to support the countries that are growing naturally in a clean environment, without pollution, like Mongolia and Kazakhstan and also some parts of Russia. So these places have to be preserved, safeguarded, and they have to produce a good amount of medicine. Because now the rain is coming, a lot of diseases are coming, new strange diseases are appearing. Everyone will need this medicine.

Do you have any idea how much hemp is being produced in Mongolia?

In Mongolia, at the moment, it's just starting. It's all still on paper, so there's not much production, but it's starting.

How many companies already cultivate, more or less? 

I know there are four or five companies interested. 

So it's all still very early days.

Yes, very early on.

One of the AIHEF panels in Bangkok. From left to right: Takashi Okanuma, Patrick Atagi, Ben Dronkers, Anar Artur and moderator Paul Benheim. Photo: Laura Ramos | CannaReporter®

What would you like to see in your country in the future?

I want to see this industry step up and people stop being stupid. I know the drugs in this area are crazy, but then regulate it, allow it to be done properly so that it doesn't end up in the hands of criminals. And that's what all these countries are doing now. Hemp is grown in over 50 countries now, many countries allow medical cannabis, and the science doesn't lie. Anyone can take five or ten minutes and read about it. So some people really need to let go of their fear, because with that fear, we're missing out on a lot. We're not catching the train. This big train of hemp and medical cannabis is already moving very fast. If we're still thinking, 'This drug is dangerous,' we're going to be left behind. And what happens if we get cancer? The first thing to do is to research information about how medical cannabis can help with your illnesses. I agree that it may not cure 100%, but there are chances that it can improve the quality of life.

What about recreational use? Are there people using cannabis for recreational purposes in Mongolia?

I don't support recreational use, just because of the science, you know. This is medical cannabis. It's a medicine. What happens when you burn it? There's a valuable ingredient inside, but it burns. (laughs) There's no medicine if you burn it. I don't support smoking, but I do support medicinal consumption, as a medicine. I've seen people get better with this in different countries, while I travel. I've been to Portugal, I've been to Lisbon, I've been to CannX, I took my doctors, and I've seen how important this is, how medicine, how scientists are working, how doctors are working, how it's helping people.

Were you at CannX in 2020, even before the pandemic?

Yes.

I was there too!

So, we missed each other! (laughs) 

But now we meet again! So it's not very likely that Mongolia will legalize adult use of cannabis?

I don't know. It's a government thing, not a thing of mine. It depends on the governments and also on the neighboring countries, on how they see the issue. 

What is your goal with your company right now? What do you want to do?

I'm creating a mobile app for this hemp cultivation industry, where people can see and select the regions where it's legal and start investing. 

When you say application, is it an application on your cell phone? 

Yes, yes!

OK, I thought your idea was to go out into the countryside and grow hemp. 

I've been there, I've tried it, and I know what it's like. I've been to Russia, but I know I don't need to do that. I need to do more important things, like a mobile app. So people can easily, from home, choose where they want to farm. They can choose the farmer, and then they can see how much that farmer needs, and then they can start investing heavily. And this can be done in Mongolia or internationally, of course.

Yes, yes. Very good idea. Do you also have experience in software development, or do you work with programmers?

No, with programmers. I have a very good team.

So this app will be mainly about connecting people internationally so they can learn more about industrial hemp around the world?

Not just to know more, but also to participate.

Participate, get involved, produce and disseminate?

Yes yes.

Very good idea! Congratulations on the work you are doing in Mongolia, I wish you much success.

Thank you. 

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Laura Ramos

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With a degree in Journalism from the University of Coimbra, Laura Ramos has a postgraduate degree in Photography and has been a Journalist since 1998. Winner of the Business of Cannabis Awards in the category "Journalist of the Year 2024", Laura was a correspondent for Jornal de Notícias in Rome, Italy, and Press Officer in the Office of the Minister of Education of the 21st Portuguese Government. She has an international certification in Permaculture (PDC) and created the street-art photography archive “Say What? Lisbon” @saywhatlisbon. Co-founder and Editor of CannaReporter® and coordinator of PTMC - Portugal Medical Cannabis, Laura directed the documentary “Pacientes” and was part of the steering group of the first Postgraduate Course in GxP's for Medicinal Cannabis in Portugal, in partnership with the Military Laboratory and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon.

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