Lebanon's cannabis heartland, Bekaa, hopes for legalization
Legalization seems to have gained traction after consulting firm McKinsey & Co. included it among its suggestions in a government-commissioned study on ways to boost Lebanon's economy
Friday, July 27, 2018
The Bekaa Valley in Lebanon is notorious as one of the world's major cannabis-growing regions, producing some of the finest hashish. The country is the third biggest world producer after Morocco and Afghanistan, according to the UN. But the valley's residents have rarely felt the benefits. Now they are hoping their work will become legal after decades of crackdowns and raids. A draft bill has been introduced that would allow cultivation and use of cannabis for medical purposes. The idea has fueled dreams of Lebanon raking in hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and exports, a desperately needed source of income for a country with low growth, high unemployment and one of the world's heaviest debt burdens. (See also: Cannabis in Lebanon: Production may be legal by the end of the year)
