By GIDEON NYENDWA
WE will engage the UPND government on the implementation of the action plan on the marijuana laws the Zambian Hemp Growers and Industries Association (ZAMHEMP) has said.
ZAMHEMP president Peter Sinkamba said they would brief the new government on how far the programme had gone. Mr Sinkamba explained that ZAMHEMP was now finalising the action plan on implementing the marijuana programme so that the country could start benefitting from the wealth that comes with marijuana production.
He said since the UPND was placing the thrust on economic growth, industrialisation of cannabis production in the agricultural sector should be one of the key programmes to grow the economy. Mr Sinkamba said he did not expect the incoming government to deviate from the marijuana policy because it became a government programme upon the enactment of the three laws. “I think there will be no deviation from a national programme that is already running,” he said.
The marijuana laws are Cannabis Act number 33 of 2021, Industrial Hemp Act number 34 of 2021 and Narcotic Drugs, and Psychotropic Substances Act number 35 of 2021. He said in the enactment of the laws, there was participation of the ruling party and the UPND, now coming into government. “I used to engage parliamentarians from the UPND in the committees in which they were adequately represented,” Mr Sinkamba said.
