We should join this blossoming industry
WE LIVE in a country that is recognised by only one other country, Turkey. This is one of the reasons that we are dependent on Turkey economically. Over the last few years, we see Turkey moving in a more conservative direction politically and socially. As we well know, Turks travel for gambling weekends and on holiday to hit the casinos in the TRNC, so they are fine with legalised gambling here. In any country where gambling is legal, an assortment of illegal activities, such as organised crime, money laundering and corruption follow.
So if we consider that Turkey makes no issue about gambling in North Cyprus and we have already accepted that certain crimes related to gambling occur here, would you say Turkish Cypriots are ready for a serious, grown up discussion on cannabis? Personally I see this as the best time to explore it.
Cannabis is a plant with a rich history. For a significant portion of modern human history cannabis had environmental, medicinal, spiritual, and recreational uses that date back at least 5,000 years. During the early 1930s, for various reasons (politically and racially driven) cannabis ended up in the category of drugs across the world deemed “most dangerous” with all the criminal repercussions that followed. Fast forward to the 21st century, the “stigma” of cannabis has rapidly eroded, with public opinion becoming pro-legislation.
This has led to many countries changing their legislative and regulatory framework to accommodate a rapidly growing cannabis sector, which is predicted to reach 123 billion euros by 2028.
According to estimates, South Cyprus could produce 230 million euros worth of medicinal cannabis every year. Therefore, cannabis legalisation could add another income stream to the island’s economy. It can help boost their economy from the production, distribution and export of the medicinal cannabis grown in North Cyprus. Since cultivation and production in the global market is still relatively new in this region, they have the opportunity to tap into a source of income and open a door by making North Cyprus an attractive country to maximise opportunities in investment. Cannabis could also play a significant role in redefining our new economic landscape going forward by creating new jobs, creating revenue through taxation, reviving the agricultural sector, improving the environment, alleviating human pain and suffering and improving our quality of life. Creating locally generated revenue will also make our economy less dependent on others.
The race to supply the growing demand of the European medical cannabis market is well and truly on. European countries are scrambling to regulate, responding to pressure to ease restrictions and provide an outlet for a profitable business that is going global. In the next five years, cannabis could see a dramatic change in regulations and an expansion into the global market. As public support keeps increasing, it wouldn’t be surprising for more countries to legalise recreational marijuana. The tax revenue being generated from legalised recreational marijuana could prove tempting to many countries; why should the TRNC not be one of those who takes advantage of the potential of this multi-billion euro industry?
North Cyprus has many advantages in respect to cannabis. Thanks to its warm weather and its long periods of sunshine, Cyprus has a competitive edge over other cannabis-growing countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany or Denmark. Its great environmental conditions, strategic location and skilled workforce mean the country has the potential to become one of the leading medical cannabis producers in this region of the world.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second most prevalent of the active ingredients of cannabis. While CBD is an essential component of medical marijuana, it is derived directly from the hemp plant, which is a cousin of the marijuana plant. CBD oil can help with many ailments to your health like inflammation, chronic pain, and even arthritis and migraines. CBD can do more than just help relieve pain, as it also works to help improve the quality of your sleep, can reduce anxiety, and may improve your immunity. In 2016 in the TRNC and in 2019 in South Cyprus, the use of CBD oil (medical cannabis) was approved. They made the necessary amendments to their laws to permit the import of cannabis seeds and cannabis plants for cultivation purposes, as well as regulating licences to be issued. For patients to receive CBD oil, an application must be submitted by their treating physician to the health minister with information on their medical condition and justification on the requirement for this treatment. Once approved, patients are supplied CBD oil through pharmacies by presenting a prescription from a specialist physician. I was curious to see if pharmacies actually carried CBD oil so I took a walk to three nearby pharmacies to ask. Each time they looked at me like I had just asked them for meth and said that they did not carry it and that it required a prescription which doctors here won’t write. Although it is available in South Cyprus and supposedly in the TRNC, patients who might benefit from CBD oil are more often than not denied access to it because physicians are reluctant to write the necessary prescription. During the last year, some cancer treatment drugs were difficult to find because they could not be imported into the country. In North Cyprus, CBD oil is supposed to be available to cancer patients by prescription. However physicians would prefer to prescribe opioids first, natural CBD oil is considered a last resort.
More countries are likely to legalise medical marijuana in the coming years. Given the research, it’s hard to argue that marijuana doesn’t have some medical benefits. Medicinal cannabis is used to alleviate symptoms and relieve chronic pain in patients with cancer, epilepsy (by reducing seizures), HIV, diabetes, neurological conditions like Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease, glaucoma, arthritis and many more illnesses.
It has proven psychological benefits due to its calming effect and mood stabilisation in treating PTSD, anxiety, depression and ADHD/ADD.
Pro-legalisers often claim that marijuana is far less dangerous and addictive than alcohol and tobacco. According to a report from the World Health Organization, “In humans, cannabis exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of cannabis”. So cannabis is safer than opioids and other highly addictive drugs like Adderall and Ritalin used to treat ADHD/ADD. Many studies show that it can also curb alcoholism.
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the global economy. We certainly have felt the significant and ongoing economic effects of the pandemic in the TRNC, especially on the tourism and hospitality sectors. Countries which are seeking to recover financially in the aftermath of the pandemic will be seeking new sources of taxable revenue, which medical and adult use cannabis could offer.
Covid-19 undoubtedly raises opportunities for the cannabis industry at large. The profile of cannabis as a therapeutic has also been raised in the context of Covid. At least 16 groups are actively researching the use of cannabis for fighting Covid-induced symptoms. Cannabis and CBD (cannabidiol) consumption increased as many consumers with increased awareness of their health sought help to treat Covid-19 induced anxieties.
Industrial cannabis (hemp) refers to cannabis plants cultivated for high yields of materials like seeds; fibre and oil with low concentrations of psychoactive compounds. Materials derived from hemp have a wide range of uses as components in consumer goods such as paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, building material and fuel. Industrial cannabis can also be used to produce CBD products such as oils, tinctures, and food, as well as health food products. Hemp is one of the fastest growing agricultural crops requiring little or no pesticides, less industrial processing post-harvest and low overall environmental impact.
In 1961, there were over 35,000 acres of cannabis being cultivated in Turkey, making the country one of the largest hemp producers in the world. By 2017 this was down to only 11.3 acres in the entire country. Farmers are allowed to grow hemp after obtaining a licence from the government. The licence allows farmers to grow industrial cannabis for a period of three years before renewal. Farmers who want to apply have to prove that they don’t have any previous drug convictions and they must allow authorities to monitor and check their cannabis plantations every month. This same process could be implemented in the TRNC as well. Farmers organised a protest last month to try and get more money allotted for support payments for agriculture because of the pandemic. Growing industrial and recreational cannabis would benefit our farmers and create much needed jobs in rural areas of the country.
Cannabis should be decriminalised for personal/recreational use and noone should be sent to jail over it. The Central Prison in Lefkoşa has many prisoners that are there for cannabis-related offences. Even some judges admit that they consider cannabis to be the least dangerous drug and therefore show leniency when sentencing offenders. Someone received a 14month sentence for growing a couple of small plants based on a couple of stems and leaves. Then you read in the paper that a driver who caused a fatal hit-and-run accident gets six months. The disparity is staggering. I read recently that a couple of judges have sentenced offenders to mandatory rehab and a fine, which is a much better solution than prison. A second offence should carry an increased fine, a third offence could involve jail time. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), any drug offence will land you in jail with a sentence in line with the amount and type of drug followed by immediate deportation and a ban on entering the UAE for five years, 10 years or permanently. This is a very harsh approach but an effective deterrent. For all non-cannabis drugs, this should be the method used to handle drug-related crimes. Let’s not forget that your taxes are paying to feed and house people in prison.
In May 2020, the TRNC health ministry was conducting a study on the production of cannabis for medical use and the issue was to be discussed in parliament. One year later the results of the study are still not available to the public.
As global recognition of the benefits of cannabis increases, the end of the “prohibition era” for cannabis beckons. It would be safe to say that the cannabis industry will soon become the most lucrative and thriving industrial sector in the world. North Cyprus is in a prime position to maximise this massive opportunity, if only it would take a serious look at the possibilities. If the country were to partially decriminalise cannabis, this may bolster tourism and pave the way for the legalisation of recreational cannabis. This could make North Cyprus a go-to destination for travellers from all over the world.
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