A month ago, Zimbabwe looked set to make growing cannabis (dagga) a legal pursuit in the country. However, News 24 and DailyNews report the government have since come down from their proposals.
Back in April, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa was reported to have pushed for the law change and issuing his directive in the Government Gazette.
Those who wish to produce weed would have been required to apply for a licence – which looked as if it would be valid for five years and allow growers to possess, transport and sell fresh cannabis, cannabis oil, and dried product.
Zimbabwe has been considering the legalisation for eight months. But now it seems like the top brass have got cold feet on this one.
What’s scared them off?
It would appear that Deputy Finance Minister Terrence Mukupe has had his say on the matter. Speaking about a consultation with other ministers, Mukupe claims that the 350 early applications they received became a cause for concern.
Both the amount of land required to grow cannabis as well as how much money it could make varied wildly, based on the hundreds of estimates from budding applicants.
The scattergun figures spooked Mukupe, who revealed that the government will now reconsider their initial idea:
“We’ve had a Dutch investor who told us he needed just 60 hectares, where he expected to make $100 – $200 million annually. Then we have someone else claiming they would make the same profit but with 10 000 hectares of land. There’s too much of a difference.”
Is it legal to grow cannabis in Zimbabwe?
As it stands, the unlicensed growing of marijuana is still a crime in Zimbabwe, and it comes with a potential 12-year jail term. Zimbabweans hoping for “the rub of the green” may have to wait a little longer, as the government seeks more clarity.
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