By Chris Mfula, Reuters
Zambia has legalized the production and export of cannabis for economic and medicinal purposes becoming the latest country to shift its position on the drug to give its finances a boost.
The approval for the export of cannabis was granted at a special cabinet meeting on December 4, government’s chief spokesperson Dora Siliya said in a statement.
Skin care product from marijuana
It was not clear from the statement if the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in Zambia had been legalized.
The southern African country joins a host of nations that have legalized, or are considering legalizing cannabis to some degree, as attitudes towards the drug slowly change and investments in its medical benefits grow.
Zambia’s motivation is rooted in a hefty fiscal deficit and growing debt burden. Growth in external debt to $10.5 billion at the end of 2018 from $8.74 billion a year earlier has raised fears the country is headed for a debt crisis.
Zambia cut its 2019 growth forecast in September because bad weather had hit crop production and electricity generation while the International Monetary Fund has said growth is likely to remain subdued over the medium term.
Zambian opposition Green Party President Peter Sinkamba, who has been advocating the export of cannabis since 2013, said the move could earn Zambia up to $36 billion annually.
“Depending on how properly this is done, this could just change the face of Zambia’s economy,” Sinkamba told Reuters. “This could be a blessing or a curse, like diamonds and gold, depending on the policy direction.”
Siliya said the government had directed the ministry of health to coordinate the issuance of the necessary licenses while a technical committee made up of ministers from a range of departments would come up with guidelines.
Meanwhile, legal weed sales has began in Illinois, USA as the state also pardoned more than 11,000 marijuana convictions.
Illinois
According to USA TODAY, weed dispensaries across the state opened their doors before sunrise on Wednesday, welcoming long lines of customers – some who had been waiting since 4am.
Under Illinois law, anyone over 21 with a valid state ID or driver’s license can purchase recreational marijuana from licensed retailers.
Residents may legally possess up to 30 grams of cannabis flower, 5 grams of concentrate and 500 milligrams of THC in products such as edibles.
Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker
Non-Illinois residents in the state may possess up to only half as much as residents.
The law also includes a “social equity” plan to improve diversity in the industry by giving a leg up to minority entrepreneurs disproportionately impacted by poverty and the war on drugs.
The law expunges certain drug-based criminal records and establishes a fund to provide financial resources for business start-ups, among other provisions.
Smoking it not allowed
“The war on cannabis has destroyed families,” USA TODAY quoted Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker. “It has filled jails and prisons with nonviolent offenders. It has disproportionately affected black and brown communities.
“Every state that has legalized cannabis has seen high demand and long lines in its earliest weeks, and to be sure, our state will, too. But unlike other states, in Illinois, we purposely built a system where the market has room to grow, so that entrepreneurs, including especially those from the communities devastated by the war on drugs, will have real opportunities in this industry.”
Illinois is the 11th state in the US to allow the sale of recreational marijuana. Thirty-three states allow the sale of marijuana for medical use, which Illinois legalized in 2013.
The marijuana industry in Illinois could eventually bring in $1.69 billion to $2.58 billion in annual revenue, according to a study by Colorado consulting firm Freedman and Koski. That would mean an additional $440 million to $676 million in annual tax revenue statewide, the study said.
Chicago, which is facing a more than $800 million budget deficit, expects to bring in $3.5 million in revenue from marijuana taxes next year.