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Rwanda has approved the production of medicinal cannabis strictly for export, seeking to target fast-growing markets in the United States and the European Union, although its use remains illegal in the country.
The guidelines for the production and export of medical cannabis were approved by the cabinet on Monday, and a government statement said Wednesday that it would not change the strict local laws on marijuana use.
“Rwanda will begin receiving license applications from interested investors for this high-value therapeutic crop. This investment framework does not affect the legal status of cannabis use in Rwanda, which remains prohibited,” the statement said.
Rwanda’s Development Board said several companies have tendered to begin mass production as the small East African nation seeks a multi-billion dollar slice of the medical cannabis market.
“We have interested investors that we are going to work with over the next few days now that we have guidelines to see how Rwanda can contribute to medical research in the world. The US, Canada and the EU are big markets that we are seeing buying. products, “the board’s executive director, Clare Akamanzi, told Rwanda’s state broadcasting agency.
Authorities have yet to give details on when production will begin or where cannabis farms will be located in the country, in which agriculture is the main employer.
Akamanzi said that anyone licensed to grow cannabis “will need to have a very strong safety program that needs to be approved by our law enforcement bodies.”
“There will be strong measures that include closed circuit television cameras, watchtowers, public lighting and human security. This will guarantee that the harvest does not leave the farm to go to the local market,” he said.
“We are not going to allow absolutely any other uses for cultivation, not even recreational, other than medicinal research.”
Arrests for cannabis use are made almost daily in Rwanda and doctors are prohibited from prescribing it as a medicine.
The use of the narcotic can be punished with a prison sentence of two years, while those who sell it can face up to 20 years in prison or even life in prison in “severe cases”, according to the country’s penal code.
“I fully support the government’s position to produce cannabis for medicinal purposes. But I think it should be fully legalized,” Frank Habineza, leader of the opposition Green Party, told AFP.
