Lost potential: The untapped benefits of Lebanons marijuana industry

Lost potential: The untapped benefits of Lebanons marijuana industry

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2023-05-14 | 11:07

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Lost potential: The untapped benefits of Lebanon's marijuana industry

Lebanon is the fourth largest producer of hashish in the world, but until today it has not been able to benefit from this plant.

The cultivation of cannabis, also known as Indian hemp, started here in the plains of Lebanon, and this is its history:

According to experts and residents, the cultivation of cannabis in Lebanon dates back to the Roman era, and the evidence is a carving of a cannabis leaf found on one of the stones of the Temple of Bacchus in Baalbek. It is also worth noting that during the Ottoman era, this cultivation flourished significantly.

But what Lebanese people are aware of is that marijuana played a role during the years of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), as it constituted a significant source of funding for political parties and militias.

Not only did Lebanese political parties benefit from this cultivation, but the Syrian army also extended its control over the cultivation and trade of marijuana due to its significant financial return.

This is the history of the thriving marijuana industry in Lebanon, which came to a certain end after the war when the government began trying to eradicate this cultivation