Legalising Lebanon's cannabis production could boost economy

Описание: (15 Aug 2020) LEAD-IN:
The Lebanese parliament passed a law that would allow the growing and export of cannabis for medical purposes in April.
Officials hope it will be a lucrative export for the economy as it grapples with a financial crisis and high unemployment.

STORY-LINE:
In these green fields in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, large amounts of cannabis is being illegally grown - and has been for decades.
The plant, usually referred to as "hashish" in Arabic, is their main bread and butter.
In April, the Lebanese Parliament approved a draft law that legalises cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial use.
The law is yet to be implemented and the plant remains illegal for personal use.
Still in its testing phase, new types of cannabis seeds from abroad will be planted to see if the weather conditions, water and soil are suitable or not.
But the regulations on cannabis cultivation remain unclear for farmers, says George Fakhri, the officer of the agricultural cooperative in Deir Al-Ahmar in North East Bekaa.
He hopes the new cultivation methods will be grasped quickly.
"One of the companies will do a field test of 5,000 seeds. We agreed with them, it will be a good experience, as a start for the farmer to know how to deal with the soil and the plant - how to deal with its growth, the irrigation and spraying. Such measures will take time and it will not be that fast if the farmer does not grasp it from the first year and go forward with it. If it is similar to the hashish, then it will be easy," explains Fakhri.
"We have been used to it for more than 40, 50, 60 years here in Baalbek plain since our grandfathers' days. This type (of cannabis), we will deal with it as a new kind as we dealt before with tobacco and sunflower. We consider it as a opportunity that gives hope to the people, to stop going to the capital and leaving their land and choose jobs."
But farmers say they don't believe they will ever benefit due to high prices for water irrigation.
"To buy an hour of water (for irrigation) costs $100 (US), so how much we will get out of it, nothing, it is all useless," says Boutros Habshi, farmer.
The management consultancy firm McKinsey and Company has estimated that legalizing cannabis production in Lebanon could result in billions of dollars of revenue.
"The financial crisis that we are witnessing in Lebanon and with the poverty that the province of Baalbek and Hermel is suffering from, the legalization of this agriculture will great job opportunities and will bring foreign currency to the country as this agriculture will be exported abroad. And according to McKinsey (international consultancy firm), this agriculture will add 1 billion dollars (yearly) to the Lebanese treasury," says Bashir Khodor, Governor of Baalbek and Hermel province.
Lebanon is currently witnessing an economic and financial collapse.
Since last year, unemployment has risen and poverty has deepened, foreign currency has dried up and the Lebanese pound has tumbled to lose more than 80 percent of its value relative to the dollar.

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