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The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube together with the Permanent Secretary for Bulawayo Metropolitan Paul Nyoni, today, led civil servants on a tour of Mike Querl’s fish and cannabis farm on the outskirts of Bulawayo.

Querl runs a thriving cannabis farm and is keen on engaging civil servants with land in the farming of weed.

Commenting on the tour, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana said those that are interested will be trained at his farm so they are able to produce quality crop.

The start up capital one would need is at least US 33 000 per hectare, however, it’s reported that when well done it can can yield no less than US 120 000 per hectare.

In 2018, the government legalised the production of cannabis (mbanje or dagga) for medicinal or scientific purposes.

This was announced by the then Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa in a Government Gazette under Statutory Instrument 62 of 2018 (Dangerous Drugs – Production of Cannabis for Medicinal and Scientific Use Regulations).

Producers of mbanje must be licensed by the minister.

“An application for the issue of a licence in terms of section 27 of the Act shall be made to the Minister, in duplicate and shall be accompanied by the appropriate fee and three copies of a plan of the site proposed to be licensed which shall comply with the requirement specified in these regulations.

“In case of an individual, proof of citizenship or proof of being ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe or proof of an exemption by the Minister (will be required),” reads the regulations.

“In the case of a company, proof of citizenship or proof of being ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe of the majority of directors or proof of an exemption by the Minister and proof of incorporation in Zimbabwe of the company; and a declaration, signed and dated by the proposed authorised person in charge, stating that the authorised person in charge, the proposed responsible person in charge and, if applicable, the proposed alternate responsible person in charge, are familiar with the provisions of the Act (will be required),” reads the regulations.

The application for the licence must also provide a detailed description of the method that the applicant proposes to use for keeping records.

Zwnews