Zambia is missing golden chance, Another opposition backs legalising Marijuana

Another opposition party in Zambia has come in full support of legalising marijuana saying the country is missing a golden chance to earn foreign exchange from exports of the plant.

Zambia Democracy Development Movement (ZDDM) has told Zambian Eye in a statement Sunday, July 13 that it is illogical to fear that the crop maybe abused because the crop is now a “green gold” still being grown.

ZDDM Edwin Sakala said the issue of abuse must not even arise at all.

Below is the statement in full:

It has become very clear that many Zambians have misunderstood the on
going campaign for the legalizing of marijuana in Zambia.

Many people have come to think that the political parties making this call are calling for a situation where people can be free to smoke marijuana
freely.

This understanding is very wrong because even the countries which
cultivate and export marijuana they do this in a controlled environment.

We believe that it is against this background of misunderstanding that
the Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Ngosa Simbyakula and indeed the
Patriotic Front government has been making statements opposing the
continued calls for a new law legalizing the growing of marijuana in Zambia.

It is clear that the Patriotic Front government and indeed some
Zambians are not aware growing marijuana under a controlled
environment or even under a license is a brilliant idea which can help
Zambia join other countries like South Africa to earn a lot of foreign
exchange.

It is clear that the minister is only looking at the advocacy from a narrow angle of citizens abusing dagga without seeing the bigger picture that international pharmaceutical companies need marijuana to produce many drugs which people use as medicine.

It is important that those opposed to this idea must be made to understand that those calling for dagga to be legalized are not calling for a law which will allow people to smoke it but rather having it grown under controlled environments and for export to pharmaceutical companies.

It must also be realized that even local herbalists can not do without the use of marijuana which is an important mixture in most of the herbal medicine.

This should explain the reasons why people continue to be grown
marijuana secretly in spite of the harsh and firm laws which exist. Due to the demand the more the law is made tough the more attractive it becomes for the people who cultivate the crop secretly as it means more money it fetches on the black market.

It is very wrong for anybody to advance the idea that the marijuana being recovered by the police was all being abused because most of it is being used in the preparation of various local herbs meant for the treatment of common ailments including ear problems in children, epilepsies etc.

Legalizing the growing of dagga under controlled environments will help the nation stop wasting resources on criminalizing citizen who continue to cultivate marijuana which was widely grown in Zambia for many years for its medicinal value.

The current law justifying the continued arrests and imprisonment of many people for cultivation and possession of dagga must be revisited immediately to conform with many developed countries which allow the
cultivation of dagga for its medicinal value and the scientifically proven fact that it does insignificant harm to the few people who choose to abuse it as compared to harmful products like tobacco and alcohol which are on the market.

Zambians opposed to the idea of legalizing the cultivation of dagga must realize that this was a traditional crop which was and still widely used in traditional medicine. Those bent on abusing or using it know where to find it in spite of the law criminalizing it.

It is also important that we acknowledge the fact that dagga is still legally cultivated in most of the developed countries which even allow those who need to use it readily access to it.

Of greater importance is that Zambia can greatly benefit economically
if it legalize the growing of dagga under legally controlled conditions for export to countries which use it in their pharmaceutical industry. The international pharmaceutical industry needs dagga and Zambia can supply it.

After all Zambian dagga would be of very high quality that it would even become the best environmental friendly export and foreign exchange earner for Zambia surpassing copper by far.

The question of abuse should not even arise because many Zambians don’t abuse this crop which is still readily available in spite of the illegality attached to it.

We shall continue to label ourselves as irresponsible people by criminalizing Dagga which is legalized in many developed countries in
America and Europe and which can easily turn our economy around if we
established strictly controlled dagga farms.

Those opposed to this idea must know that even if we don’t grow dagga
legally citizens will continue being criminalized because the crop is too deeply rooted in the culture and tradition of the people.

Zambia will also continue to miss the golden opportunity it has to earn
foreign exchange at its exposal all because of the illogical fear that the crop maybe abused because the crop is now a “green gold” still being grown anyway. The illegality tag being put on it only makes it more attractive to
the young people who would not have thought of touching it if it remained widely grown as it was a few years ago before it was legalized.

I personally remember the days when dagga was grown freely for its
medicinal value and only a few people abused it. Those who smoked it
did so for reasons such as boosting their energy in the field or as a way of inducing appetite for food.

Edwin Sakala – President, ZDDM