Lebanon legalizes low-THC medical cannabis production

The Lebanese parliament has approved a law that allows the cultivation of cannabis up to 1% THC for medical purposes.

The proposed law, which isn’t yet final, would make Lebanon the first Arab nation to legalize cannabis in some form.

Lebanon’s parliament approved the law amid demonstrations against “worsening economic and social conditions in the country,” Al Jazeera reported.

Lebanon’s vote stems from a 2018 consultant recommendation on improving the economy.

At the time, Lebanon’s minister of economy and trade projected that legalization could add up to about $1 billion annually to Lebanon’s economy.

Lebanon is one of the top producers of illegal marijuana – especially cannabis resin – in the world, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Illicit cannabis is known to be grown particularly in the Bekaa Valley region of Lebanon.