Government allows medicinal cannabis sales

Zimbabwe has cleared the way for cannabis-based medical products to be sold for the first time as the southern African country eyes the industry valued at $1.25bn. The Medicines Control of Zimbabwe (MCZ) has opened applications for cannabis and hemp producers, manufacturers, importers, exporters and retail pharmacists, The East African reports. The debt-ridden nation became one of the first African countries to legalise cannabis in 2018 but little has been done since to permit commercial production of the drug. The MCZ has now released regulations that will guide investments in the sector as the country, sanctioned by the West, banks on the growing global cannabis market. The country, which is one of the leading producers of tobacco in the world, is considering a shift from the golden leaf to cannabis as the global tobacco ban lobby continues to gather momentum. Industry players have set a target for tobacco farmers to ensure that cannabis contributes a quarter of their income by 2025. President Emmerson Mnangagwa May this year commissioned $27m medical cannabis farm and processing plant owned by Swiss Bioceuticals Limited.