In Lebanon, one farmer-turned-candidate is running on a pro-cannabis platform
Legalizing cannabis for medical purposes means that the farmer will benefit before the merchant
Al Arabiya
Monday, April 23, 2018
In Lebanon, on the roads of Baalbek-Hermel leading to his village of Deir al-Ahmar, Shawki Fakhri is contesting the upcoming local elections under a pro-cannabis platform. But he has no interest in the recreational use of the drugs. Fakhri, a farmer like many of those who will be voting in his district come May 6, is pushing to legalize and legislate the plant in order to help his constituents. “For some pharmaceutical companies, the law allows them to grow and even import cannabis on medical grounds. If the project I am proposing is granted, it will bring in at least $50 mln for the Baalbek farmers,” Fakhri told Al Arabiya.
