On Tuesday April 21, the Lebanese Parliament approved a bill to legalize the cultivation and use of cannabis for therapeutic and industrial purposes.
A legalization that was already being considered by the Lebanese government and had been recommended by economic advisors even before the coronavirus epidemic hit the country. Since March, Lebanon has been over-indebted and in default. An economic rescue plan is currently being prepared, with financing requirements of over $80 billion.
The new law does not authorize the recreational use of cannabis, but it does unblock its use, particularly for medical purposes. This could bring in revenue for the country, although according to Hilal Khashan, a professor at the American University of Beirut, it will have virtually no immediate impact on the country’s economy.
