Malawi Aims for Independence in Its Cannabis Industry
This year, Malawi’s authorities are gaining their first experience with the legalization of cannabis, and they are already beginning to see their mistakes. Growing cannabis to meet the demands of foreign investors is certainly beneficial, but it’s also important not to forget about developing the domestic market, creating local strains, and teaching farmers how to find clients independently.
Boniface Kadzamira, Chairman of the Cannabis Regulatory Authority (CRA), recently called for the creation of structured markets for producers of medical and industrial cannabis. According to him, Malawi’s cannabis industry will not develop or achieve stability if cannabis is produced solely to meet foreign demand.
“We need to look for our own markets both within the country and abroad. We must work with the government to develop these markets, rather than relying on promises from investors who want to buy our products. If we don’t have structured markets, we won’t have any work,” he stated.
Kadzamira also added that Malawi’s universities and research institutes need to focus their efforts on developing new cannabis strains.
“We are growing foreign strains, but we need to promote and develop our own, which will be available to all producers. We have huge potential with our own strains, which are marketable,” Kadzamira said.
One of the commercial strains mentioned by the CRA head is “Malawi Gold”—the most famous and potent African landrace, often called the “gold standard of cannabis.” Its effectiveness is even recognized by the World Bank, which has rated it as “the very best.”
Legalization and Economic Shifts
The authorities of Malawi announced the legalization of cannabis production for industrial and medical purposes in February 2020. However, criminal liability for recreational use of cannabis remains in place. The decision was prompted by a decline in global demand for tobacco, which had been (and still remains) the country’s main source of income.
By November of the same year, the authorities declared that the country was fully ready to begin cannabis production and reported that, due to the drop in tobacco demand in 2020, the country’s total revenues had decreased by 26.4%.
In May 2021, the President of Malawi called for the country to move away from its dependence on tobacco, as revenues from tobacco sales were expected to be even lower in the new year than in the previous one. “I have instructed the Ministry of Agriculture to start searching for alternative crops so that by 2030 Malawi can end its dependence on tobacco, except in limited cases where pre-agreed quotas exist,” the president stated. In his opinion, cannabis should be the primary focus.