Lebanese farmers sow seeds for new cannabis growers’ syndicate

Lebanese farmers sow seeds for new cannabis growers’ syndicate

Lebanese farmers sow seeds for new cannabis growers' syndicate

Lebanese farmers sow seeds for new cannabis growers' syndicate

In this file photo, a man removes dirt and dry leaves in a cannabis field in the village of Yammoune, 25 kilometers (about 15 miles) northwest of the town of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. (AP)

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Lebanese farmers sow seeds for new cannabis growers' syndicate

Ministers, MPs rumored to be buying agricultural land after law legalizes production for medical, industrial uses

Updated 14 July 2020

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BEIRUT: A group of Lebanese farmers have sown the seeds for the setting up of a growers' syndicate for the production of cannabis plants.

The move to establish a founding committee of agricultural sector representatives followed a decision by the Lebanese Parliament in April to legalize the use of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes.

In doing so, Lebanon become the first Arab country to pass a law allowing the cultivation of the plant for specific non-recreational uses.  

Farmers from the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate in eastern Lebanon announced plans for the formation of the new committee during a press conference held at a tourist complex in the region.

Former president of the Tobacco Growers' Association in Baalbek-Hermel, Ahmed Zaiter, told Arab News: "Through the