Members of Parliament have called on the government to reduce the licence fees for growing cannabis (mbanje) saying they are too prohibitive. In order to farm mbanje one needs a $50 000 licence. The members also highlighted that the fee disadvantages communities which were already growing mbanje illegally as they cannot afford the fees. Binga was given as an example.
Uzumba MP Simbaneuta Mudarikwa said,
… if people are growing tobacco and are not paying any licence fees, then people should not pay $50 000 for producing cannabis because it will be exported for foreign currency.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi responded with
…there is a pilot project for us to farm industrial cannabis, which is going to assist the nation, but recreational cannabis is not allowed.
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