Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is the Health and Childcare Minister, on Wednesday urged Zimbabweans to embrace the cultivation of medicinal hemp (cannabis).
He made the call in a speech read on his behalf by his deputy John Mangwiro while addressing delegates at the cannabis roundtable discussion in Harare.
The roundtable discussion was held under the theme “Unlocking the challenges and potential of cannabis as an alternative medicine”.
Chiwenga, however, warned that the illegal use of cannabis will be punished. He said:
This is a Zimbabwean thing, let’s go for it. Let us not say anyone is wrong or not; I encourage you to do research and study here before you export.
Like the Medical Association of Zimbabwe said, we need to tweak the laws that (are) favourable for our consumption and exportation.
While the government encourages the legal use of medicinal hemp (cannabis), any criminal diversion of the herb will not go unpunished.
There is a need to work along protocol lines to ensure the legality of the practice.
Zimbabwe legalised the growing of hemp in 2018, but only for medical purposes. | NewsDay
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