Lebanon: First Arabic Country to Legalise Medicinal Marijuana

In the progressive land of Lebanon, where a man can be punished by up to 6 years imprisonment if he "disguise himself as a woman", cannabis for medicinal purposes has just been legalised. Lebanon, a small country in between Syria and Israel, became the first country in the Arabian landscape to legalise cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial use on Tuesday, April 21st. New legislation was passed by the Lebanese Parliament despite having strong opposition from the Hezbollah representatives. Although a few Hezbollah allies in the current government also supported the decision. Lands of Bekaa Lebanon where cannabis commonly farmed The move comes after the UN Office on Drugs and Crime reported Lebanon was the 5th largest cannabis exporter in 2018. On top of that, the global consultancy firm McKinsey also recommend legalisation as a way for Lebanon boost the country's troubled economy. McKinsey handed the Lebanon president a 1,000 page report in 2018, which they seem to have finally acted on today. Reports by distinguished author mentioned it could turn out quite well for the country if they handled it properly.

If regulated and taxed properly, this is a net positive for Lebanon.

It will be interesting to see if Bekaa, the current cannabis cultivation capital of Lebanon, will benefit from the legalisation. Qassem Tlaiss, a representative of the Bekaa clans who farm cannabis again claims they'll face strong opposition from Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is against it. They want to keep this region poor so they can attract young men to fight for them. They are holding the joints of Lebanese politics and they can do whatever they want.

Only time will tell whether Lebanon can grow a budding new cannabis industry that regulated, taxed, and benefit all parties involved in the supply chain.