Cannabis farmers in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley fight government push for legalisation
Farmers see legalisation as the government stealing their revenue
ABC (Australia)
Friday, October 19, 2018
Friday, October 19, 2018
A plan to legalise cannabis production in Lebanon faces resistance from some of the growers themselves. In the eastern Bekaa Valley, where the crop has been cultivated for centuries, the local farmers are suspicious of government efforts to create a legal cannabis industry. "We view the legalisation of hashish as theft from our people," says one grower, Abu Jafaar. "As this crop generates a lot of revenues, so our politicians want to legalise it to steal that production." Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri has said the Lebanese government is preparing legislation that will allow the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes. The move followed a report by consultants McKinsey into the ailing Lebanese economy.
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