Marijuana Business Magazine - May-June 2018

L esotho in 2008 became the first country in Africa to regulate medical cannabis, but it wasn’t until the past couple of years that businesses started moving into the space.That’s because the regulatory infrastructure includ- ing the Lesotho Narcotics Bureau wasn’t launched until recently. Currently, there are two companies cultivating medical marijuana for export and about six more possessing licenses. While the 2008 law spells out who can prescribe medical cannabis and under what conditions, it lacks enough detail to make a domestic industry workable.The law was created with exports in mind.The pending Drugs of Abuse (Cannabis) Regulations may address such technical gaps to facilitate domestic MMJ use, but it could be months – or years – before the follow-up legislation is approved. For now, the industry is focused on exports. Opportunities exist up and down the value chain.There are no input suppli- ers specifically for cannabis companies, including general infrastructure such as irrigation equipment, greenhouse, generators, farming equipment, nutrients and cannabis-specific fertilizers. International companies with a cultivation track record based on Good Manu- facturing Practice (GMP) could find dance partners in one of Lesotho’s licensed producers that lack capital and know-how. Here’s what you need to know: • The 2008 law lumps hemp and cannabis together, so it doesn’t limit the potency of cannabis or forms that can be exported. Flower and oils are both allowed. • Licenses were issued for 10-year terms, but industry sources said the government won’t issue more culti- vation licenses until the secondary legislation is approved. • Local businesses formed a group of stakeholders to meet regularly. They will provide business-friendly advice to the Office of the Par- liamentary Council, which is responsible for drafting legislation and regulations. LESOTHO Industry: Medical Marijuana A Lesotho GOING GL BAL 70 • Marijuana Business Magazine • May-June 2018