Lebanon passes legislation legalizing medical marijuana cultivation as economy struggles amid coronavirus fallout
Lebanon has been publicly discussing the possibility of legalizing cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes for nearly two years
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
The Lebanese parliament passed legislation to legalize cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial purposes, a move that was recommended by economic advisers even before the coronavirus pandemic dealt a devastating blow to the struggling economy. Under the new law, the cultivation of cannabis by farmers would be regulated within the country. Although the plant has long been widely and openly cultivated in Lebanon, particularly in the eastern Bekaa Valley, growing cannabis was strictly illegal. The new law would not legalize for recreational use. Instead, it would allow for the plant to be grown for export for medicinal and industrial purposes. (See also: Eyeing a $1 billion market, Lebanon's elites are looking to exploit cannabis cultivation, cutting small-scale farmers out of the deal)
