LBCI just reported that Lebanon’s parliament has just voted in favor of a law that would legalise the cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial use. This comes after the draft law was endorsed by parliamentary committees few months back, and is based “on a 2019 report by United States-based consultancy McKinsey & Company that recommended Lebanon legalise cannabis production for “high-added-value medicinal products with export focus”.

The real question remains: Who is going to benefit from it? What will happen to local farmers illegally cultivating and selling for years now (Amnesty law will solve this?)? Who will regulate the market? Will the state benefit from it or is it yet another missed opportunity?

This remains to be seen.