Malawi has legalised the cultivation of a potent local cannabis strain for industrial and medicinal purposes, reports Bloomberg.

The government will issue licences for people to grow and transport the variety known as chamba or ganja, but smoking will remain illegal, House Leader Richard Chimwendo said.
According to the report, some members of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party walked out of the chamber in protest to the passing of the bill, saying they should be given enough time to scrutinise the legislation.
Peter Dimba, an MP from the ruling Malawi Congress Party, who tabled the motion to legalise the plant, said it was in high demand on the global market. “In 2018 we allowed the cultivation of industrial hemp but somehow, we discriminated against our own variety and that was a classic example of self-hatred,” he said, adding that the law will bring economic benefits to the country.
Malawi joins a growing list of countries in southern Africa that are legalising the production of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes. Lesotho was the first country in 2017, followed by Zimbabwe and South Africa a year later. Zambia did the same three years later. Botswana’s high court has authorised a company to grow cannabis for industrial and medicinal purposes in January 2022, reports bne IntelliNews.