Zambia approves cannabis exports to boost economy

In this Wednesday Nov. 6, 2019 photo, Esteban Almeida smells his cannabis plants at his small greenhouse in Quito, Ecuador, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. Ecuador’s legislature approved medical use of cannabis containing less than 1% of THC, the high-producing ingredient in marijuana, in September. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)illnesses can have new options for pain relief. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
LUSAKA  – Zambia has legalised the production and export of cannabis for economic and medicinal purposes, the government’s chief spokeswoman said on Monday, 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 Dec. 4, spokeswoman Dora Siliya said in a statement. It was not clear from the statement if the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in Zambia had been legalised.
The southern African country joins a host of nations that have legalised, or are considering legalising cannabis to some degree, as attitudes towards the drug slowly change and investments in its medical benefits grow.

Source: iol.co.za