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Zimbabwe Considers Legalizing Medical Cannabis Production

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Lawmakers in Zimbabwe, Africa are considering legalizing medical cannabis in selected areas of the nation. The government is considering the option after a Canadian producer showed interest in cultivating and processing medical cannabis in Zimbabwe, which would bring about great economic benefits.

As Zimbabwe deals with an 80 percent unemployment rate, cannabis cultivation is thriving in the Binga region in western Zimbabwe. Five dollars or 1,800 ZWD will buy about five to 10 grams of cannabis in the region. Top-shelf cannabis trickles in from across the border in Malawi and Mozambique. Promotion Minister Dr. Obert Mpofu announced at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting in Victoria Falls that the government is considering allowing medical cannabis production.

A Canadian cannabis producer, which hasn’t yet been identified, is interested in setting up in one of Zimbabwe’s new Special Economic Zones (SEZs). SEZ’s are being established in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. The appeal of opening up business in SEZ’s is exemption from some labor laws and restrictions. “We have received numerous inquiries from investors who want to participate in the SEZs and one of them is a big international company that wants to be involved in the production of cannabis. I also laughed and thought they were joking when I received the inquiry but they are serious. This seems to be big business,” Dr. Mpofu told Bulawayo 24 News.

One of Dr. Mpofu’s top agendas was to incentivize local and foreign investors with perks to open up business in the SEZ’s. Mpofu mentioned that Canadian cannabis processors undergo strict routine inspections in order to stay compliant.

In the region of Africa that encompasses Botswana and Zimbabwe, cannabis is known as mbanje, the word for cannabis in the Kalanga language. “I don’t see anything wrong and I think if we legalise mbanje we will benefit medically because it is used for pain killers such as morphine. South Africa has done that,” Mpofu added.

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