Many ailing African economies are turning to hemp and cannabis cultivation in a bid to turn around their economic fortunes, in particular those that were heavily reliant on tobacco production – such as Malawi and Zimbabwe – and have been heavily affected by global anti-smoking efforts.
Some are finding that even though they legalise cultivation, local growers are slow to start due to a variety of economic factors.
However, as with other parts of the world, there is strong opposition to cannabinoids that variously cites health, moral and/or religious objections.