Marijuana Growing Regulations Gazetted
The Government has legalised the production of industrial hemp (marijuana) through Statutory Instrument 218 Agricultural Marketing Authority (Industrial Hemp) Regulations gazetted on Friday by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Anxious Masuka.
The object of these regulations “is to regulate the production, procurement, distribution, possession, sale, provision and transportation of industrial hemp”.
Industrial hemp is, “the plant cannabis Sativa and any part of the plant, including the seeds thereof, and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 per cent on a dry weight basis”.
There are three types of permits for mbanje growers; 1) general grower’s, 2) research and breeding, 3) industrial hemp merchant’s.
For the general grower’s and research and breeding permits, the applicant pays US$200 application fee and renewal fee while the industrial hemp merchant permit costs US$500.
According to the regulations, permit holders have to be citizens or permanent residents of Zimbabwe, and that includes a majority of directors for a company.
However, the Agriculture Minister can exempt an individual from this requirement and the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) can exempt a company.
The regulations also cover the permit requirements such as particulars of applications and security clearance among other things.
Failure to follow the regulations can see permits cancelled, along with a jail sentence of four months, a level four fine or both.
