CANNABIS COURT RULING SLAMMED
A CROSS section of society has wholesomely slammed a court decision rejecting Green Party leader Peter Sinkamba’s bid to seek legalisation of cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes.
“Judgement may not be in Mr. Sinkamba’s favour. It is not him who has lost but the Zambians. This is an agenda which we will push because we believe it is the best way to grow our economy. ” - Mr. Tonga “Let’s not wait for mighty countries to tell us what to do, otherwise we will continue living in poverty.’’ -Chief chipepo
Traditional leaders, politicians and ordinary people interviewed by the Daily Nation said the government should stop burying its head in the sand and smell the money that could be generated from legalizing the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Mr Sinkamba has lost a case where he had sued Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya for refusing to grant him a licence for cultivation of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
In supporting Mr Sinkamba, 3rd Liberation Movement (3LM) president Enock Tonga said legalising the commercial cultivation of marijuana for medicinal purposes would have freed Zambia from the shackles of indebtedness, “but we have missed this golden opportunity.”
Mr tonga said it was hypocritical for anyone to think that cultivating marijuana at commercial level for medicinal purposes would increase the levels of substance abuse in Zambia.
A Chilanga resident, who did not want named, described the government’s continued ban on the use and sale of marijuana as “foolish”.
“Let’s be real. Much of the very money we accept as donor funds, comes from the sale of marijuana. What morality to we have to stop our people from dealing in it and yet we are ready to accept the money raised from the same elsewhere?” he queried.
Meanwhile, National Revolution Party (NRP) president, Cozmo Mumba, has appealed to Dr Chitalu Chilufya, to push a motion in Parliament to legalise marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Mr Mumba said it was ridiculous for Zambians to continue travelling to other countries to seek medical attention and spend huge amounts of money when it had the marijuana needed to treat some of those ailments.
“I don’t smoke Chamba (marijuana), but I wish to support calls to legalise it for medicine purposes. If it can be used in other countries to heal certain illness, why not legalise it here? However, apart from legalising it, I think there should also be a law in place to ensure that it is not abused,” Mr Mumba said.
And Chief Chipepo of the Tonga people of Southern Province, has highlighted the economic benefits of legalising marijuana in Zambia. The traditional leader said marijuana could be used to produce paper, car making materials, clothes, lotions, hair food and other products of great economic benefits for local and export consumption.
He further observed that Zambia should take advantage of its good weather and soils to produce the high value product.
“Let’s not wait for mighty countries to tell us what to do, otherwise we will continue living in poverty. We have to leave a legacy for our great grandchildren, so that they find this country far much developed,” Chief Chipepo said.