Recreational

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

is illegal for cultivation, trade and personal use in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. Nevertheless, large amounts of cannabis are grown illegally within the country, especially in the Bekka Valley, and consumed for personal use in private.

Production

The production of

hashish Hashish (; ), usually abbreviated as hash, is a Compression (physics), compressed form of resin (trichomes) derived from the cannabis flowers. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Lisbon, As a Psychoactive drug, psychoactive ...

was prohibited in Lebanon in 1926, during the era of the

French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (; , also referred to as the Levant States; 1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate founded in the aftermath of the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire, concerning the territori ...

. However, the cannabis industry blossomed during the chaos of the 15-year

Lebanese civil war The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the ...

(1975–1990). The cultivation of cannabis itself was forbidden in 1992, under pressure from the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. By 2001, poverty had pressed many farmers to return to growing cannabis. By 2002, production had reached 37,000 acres: double what it was the year prior. Later on, cannabis farms flourished during the Syrian civil war starting from 2011, as the government was more concerned about security issues.

Legal status

In 2018, the

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

speaker

Nabih Berri Nabih Mustafa Berri ( ; born 28 January 1938) is a Lebanese politician who has been serving as Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon since 1992. He heads the Amal Movement and its parliamentary wing, Development and Liberation Bloc. Early lif ...

stated, "The Lebanese Parliament is preparing to study and adopt the legislation necessary to legislate the cultivation of

and its manufacture for medical uses in the manner of many European countries and some US states", as he told US Ambassador to Lebanon

Elizabeth Richard Elizabeth Holzhall Richard is an American diplomat who had served as United States ambassador to Lebanon from 2016 to 2020. She had served as coordinator for counterterrorism. Early life and education Richard is the daughter of Vern F. Holzhall ...

according to Lebanon's official news agency. This announcement came after the release of a five-year study by

McKinsey & Company McKinsey & Company (informally McKinsey or McK) is an American multinational strategy and management consulting firm that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. Founded in 1926 by James O. McKinse ...

to boost

economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...

. With the world's third highest debt, proponents for legalization argued that fostering the marijuana industry could help to reform the country's economy. Some growers that oppose the reform, such as Abu Jafaar of the Bekka Valley (Lebanon's most well known growing area), feared that government intervention will take revenue away from them and into the hands of politicians. On 21 April 2020, the Parliament passed a law legalizing cannabis cultivation for medical use. Lebanon became the first Arab country to do so. Cultivation of non-psychoactive

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...

was also made legal.

References

Society of Lebanon Politics of Lebanon

{{Lebanon-poli-stub Drugs in Lebanon