International
Lebanon approves medical cannabis to try to get out of crisis
In an attempt to recover from the crisis it plunged into with the Coronavirus, Lebanon has approved the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes, announced the Reuters. The new legislation took effect this week as the Lebanese pound has lost 50 percent against the dollar since January, the biggest drop in its history.
Legal cannabis production could generate around $100 billion a year in economic revenue, according to previous studies by consultancy McKinsey. The plant has been grown illegally for over XNUMX years in the Bekaa Valley, in the east of the country, near the Syrian border, but Lebanon now wants to attract foreign investment to produce it legally and revitalize its economy.
According to the United Nations, Lebanon is one of the top five cannabis producers in the world. The plant usually goes to Syria, which has been embroiled in civil war for almost ten years, Jordan and other countries in the region. medicinal and industrial, not recreational use.
The parliament's decision was "really motivated by economic reasons, nothing more," Alain Aoun, a member of the Free Patriotic Movement founded by President Michel Aoun, told Reuters. “We have moral and social reservations, but today there is a need to help the economy in any way possible,” he said. The only party that voted against approval was Hezbollah.
Many Middle Eastern countries were taken aback by the news. In general, the consumption of alcoholic beverages and illicit substances is considered a serious transgression of religious precepts. “The most incredible thing is that the measure passed in the Lebanese Parliament, which has several members of Hezbollah, a very conservative Shia group,” says photographer Kareem Azhour, 35. In May 2019, the group banned the Gay Pride parade in Beirut.
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Image: TheGreenfund.com
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Disclaimer: Please note that this text was originally written in Portuguese and is translated into English and other languages using an automatic translator. Some words may differ from the original and typos or errors may occur in other languages.]____________________________________________________________________________________________________
What do you do with €3 a month? Become one of our Patrons! If you believe that independent cannabis journalism is necessary, subscribe to one of the levels of our Patreon account and you will have access to unique gifts and exclusive content. If there are many of us, we can make a difference with little!
With a degree in Journalism from the University of Coimbra, Laura Ramos has a postgraduate degree in Photography and has been a Journalist since 1998. Winner of the Business of Cannabis Awards in the category "Journalist of the Year 2024", Laura was a correspondent for Jornal de Notícias in Rome, Italy, and Press Officer in the Office of the Minister of Education of the 21st Portuguese Government. She has an international certification in Permaculture (PDC) and created the street-art photography archive “Say What? Lisbon” @saywhatlisbon. Co-founder and Editor of CannaReporter® and coordinator of PTMC - Portugal Medical Cannabis, Laura directed the documentary “Pacientes” and was part of the steering group of the first Postgraduate Course in GxP's for Medicinal Cannabis in Portugal, in partnership with the Military Laboratory and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon.
Peter Homberg, a renowned German lawyer specializing in cannabis and life sciences, has died.
Reading Time: 5 minutes. The legal and cannabis industry community was surprised this Friday, November 5th, with...
Iberia Faces Strategic Headwinds as Europe’s Prime Cannabis Industrial Hub
Reading Time: 7 minutes For five years, the European cannabis industry has been looking to the Iberian Peninsula for...
Beatriz Emygdio: "Brazil has the potential to be a global leader in the cannabis sector."
Reading Time: 5 minutes. The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) has been officially authorized by the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA)...
Cannabinoids offer new hope fighting against cervical cancer.
Reading Time: 3 minutes A scientific review of preclinical studies recently published in the Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology points to...
EU-certified medical vaporizers enter the market: setting a new regulatory standard.
Reading Time: 3 minutes. The race for relevance in the global cannabis community has taken a new turn with the introduction of...
USA: Clinical trial recreates real-life experience and reiterates that cannabis use reduces alcohol consumption.
Reading Time: 3 minutes A clinical trial conducted by a team of researchers at Brown University in the USA, published in...
Portugal's persistent disregard for European decisions on industrial hemp.
Reading Time: 3 minutes At a time when the European Union is strengthening investment in the bioeconomy and sustainable value chains...
Portugal: Tax and Customs Authority prohibits the sale of CBD and THC in tobacco products.
Reading Time: 2 minutes. The Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority (AT) published an Official Letter yesterday, November 26, 2025...
Hyperspectral reflectance testing can predict the cannabinoid content of cannabis leaves.
Reading Time: 2 minutes A study published this month in the scientific journal "Industrial Crops and Products" demonstrated, for the first time, that...
The US is on edge after the potential ban on THC from hemp: We analyzed the pros, the cons, and what might come next.
Reading Time: 13 minutes. The provision "Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan Act of 2025" or "Hemp Act of 2025," which was hidden...
