Lebanon has an interesting history when it comes to cannabis. Known for their hashish,
Lebanon made up around 80% of the worlds supply between 1975 and 1990. Now Lebanon is
hoping to rebuild their crippled economy by legalizing the cultivation of industrial medical
cannabis. The draft law is only waiting on its final vote and it look very promising.
Lebanon has illegally cultivated cannabis for over 100 years and has produced some of
the best product around the world. Their soil is uniquely good for growing cannabis and their
production cost is very low. Though this all sounds fantastic for the cannabis industry, Lebanon
has similar problems to the U.S as far as the regulation goes.
The bill requires that no cannabis licenses can be given to those with a record. There
are thousands of people who are arrested each year due to cannabis crimes, and many of those
are cannabis growers and enthusiasts. The bill says nothing about excusing them for their
“crimes” and excludes them from profiting or even being a part of this new movement. Karim
Nammour, a lawyer with progressive NGO Legal Agenda tells Al Jazeera “For sure this is not
what the farmers of the Bekaa want, there is no clear mechanism to integrate the existing illegal
market into the legal market. You can’t just ignore the implications and consequences of
criminalising drug use and say this new market is the priority.”
While Lebanon still has some kinks to iron out when it comes to regulation, they’re taking
a step in the right direction. Eliminating the black market and creating jobs and tax revenue is
important for any country. I for one hope other middle eastern countries take note. If done
correctly, Lebanon could really set the stage for cannabis legalization in that sector of the world.
