By Lumbiwe Mwanza
IT is encouraging that the UPND administration has bought into the idea of the cultivation of cannabis in Zambia for medicinal purposes, opposition Green Party leader Peter Sinkamba has said.
Recently, the Controlled Substance Bill 2023 was introduced in Parliament whose objective is to provide for the granting of a license to deal in, manufacture, import, and export a controlled substance, regulate the use, dispensing, wholesale, transfer, supply, sell, distribution and possession of a controlled substance for medicinal, scientific and research purposes.
In an exclusive interview with The Scoop, the Green Party leader says he is confident that the earlier enacted Industrial Hemp Act and the Cannabis Act would be operationalized once the Controlled Substance Bill is enacted.
“We are happy that the UPND has bought into our idea of legalizing the cultivation of cannabis. The introduction of the Controlled Substance Bill will definitely complete the process of operationalizing the Industrial Hemp Act and Cannabis Act,” Mr. Sinkamba said.
Mr. Sinkamba has explained that hemp is being used world over for all sorts of good building materials adding that once operationalized, the law will assist in boosting the economy in view of a broad industrial base.
