Malawi officials have announced that the South African country is ready to make headlines as a manufacturing hub for industrial hemp fiber and medical cannabis.
The country’s Cannabis Regulatory Authority made the announcement on November 24, stating that the country is ready to start production. A bill was passed back in February that would allow the growing and processing of the plant, as long as it is being produced for medical use or for industrial hemp fiber.
Currently, officials are considering more than 100 applications for cannabis cultivation. Licensing fees range from $100 to $10,000, depending on the size of the proposed cultivation site. “We have received an overwhelming response in terms of applications for licenses, but applicants must appreciate that we’ll not give everyone a license at once,” said Boniface Kadzamira, the board chair of Malawi’s regulator.
Once the cannabis facilities are up and running, hospitals will be required to pay license fees in order to dispense medical cannabis. This differs from the dispensary format that many other countries use, which makes cannabis separate from other forms of medicine.
In the past, Malawi has generated revenue from tobacco plant sales. In recent years, as fewer people smoke tobacco, and the country is making less money from tobacco, leading to a new venture into the lucrative cannabis industry. “Our view as regulator is that if we get honest investors, the hemp industry can supplement export revenues from tobacco, and in some cases, surpass it. But it will not immediately replace tobacco,” said Kadzamira.
Other countries in South America that have also embraced medical cannabis include Zambia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. While Malawi has yet to embrace recreational cannabis, the country is on its way to what is expected to be a thriving medical cannabis.
