Foreigners have been queueing in offices in search of licenses to grow cannabis in Zimbabwe, Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa has revealed.
This comes after the government legalised the growing of the plant for medicinal purposes under Statutory Instrument 62 of 2018 this year.
“Mostly they are coming from South Africa, Israel, Australia, UK,” Parirenyatwa said. “There was one who came from Argentina for queueing to grow medicinal cannabis.”
The Health Minister revealed this whilst giving official remarks during the Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZIMA) Annual Scientific Congress 2018 in Harare today.
Zimbabwe’s Minister in the department of health also said that the first licenses to grow cannabis in the country will be just issuing licenses for piloting before accepting the private sector.
Licenses will be issued to the private sector if the pilot projects succeed according to the Minister.
“The plan is for Zimbabwe to become a hub and to develop into a world cordinator across all sectors,” Parirenyatwa said.
Conditions to get a license if opened to the private sector include of security, type of seeds technical expertise as well as the source of funding.
Zimbabwe and Lesotho are the only two African countries that have legalised the growth of cannabis for health purposes.
The plant that is grown in parts of Binga and Mutoko for traditional purposes is used for medicinal, industrial and recreational (like smoking- which is illegal in Zimbabwe).
