President of the Green Party of Zambia Peter Sinkamba has revealed that he has secured an appointment with rug Enforcement Commissioner Ms. Alita Mbawe this week to discuss his grand marijuana project.
Mr Sinkamba said he will use the occasion to present the conceptual framework for the proposed pilot Green Gold Medicinal Marijuana Investments Project to the DEC Chief.
He said the proposed project will be implemented by Worldwide Environmental Risks Surveyors Limited (WERS), a Zambian registered company that he owns.
Mr Sinkamba said his firm intends to cultivate, process, and dispense marijuana (cannabis/hemp) for medicinal purposes pursuant to Section 9 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Cap 96 of the Laws of Zambia which states provides as ‘ Any person who, without lawful authority, cultivates any plant which can be used or consumed as a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance, or from which a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance can be extracted, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction to a fine of not less than five hundred penalty units or to imprisonment not exceeding ten years or to both.
Provided that no person shall be guilty of the offence under this section if the plant is cultivated for purposes of medicine or is not on a substantial and commercial scale.” (As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994)
He said his company intends to seek clearance to proceed with the project pursuant to the legal provision adding that a Letter of Intent has since been sent to the DEC Commissioner.
‘The proposed Cultivation Facility will be situated on the Copperbelt. In addition, four pilot Medical Marijuana Dispensary Centres are proposed to be opened and located in Kitwe, Ndola, Lusaka, and Livingstone,’ he said.
Mr Sinkamba explained that the Dispensary Centres will be used as outlets for dispensing medicinal marijuana to registered patients adding that the patients will be required to obtain legal prescriptions from qualified Medical Doctors.
He said qualified marijuana pharmacy staff will be employed to dispense the medicine adding that the source for medicinal marijuana to be dispensed from the Dispensaries will be strictly from the above stated Cultivation Facility.
‘There are seven objectives for the proposed pilot project. The first objective is to be a model in Zambia, on cultivation, processing and dispensing of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Government, investors and the farming community will draw lessons from the experiences at the pilot project,’ he said.
Mr Sinkamba said the second objective is to demonstrate Zambia can use unconventional and creative thinking and out-of-the-box strategies to grow the economy substantially.
‘The revenue will be generated from local sales and exports, taxation, fees and levies. Depending on how successful the pilot project is, revenue generated, when medicinal marijuana business is scaled-up, could be one of the sustainable sources that government, in the long-run, may rely upon to significantly reduce the country’s debt burden.’
The Green Party leader said the third objective is to create wealth for host communities adding that wealth will be created through job creation and business opportunities which could be one avenue through which abject poverty, especially among youths and small-scale farmers in rural areas, could in the long-run be alleviated.
Mr Sinkamba said the pilot project is planned to produce approximately 500 tonnes of processed medicinal marijuana per annum by 2017 with Capital expenditure for the proposed project estimated at US$10, 000, and 000.
He said the proposed commencement date for pilot activities is June, 2015 while the lifespan of the pilot project is 3 years.
Mr Sinkamba said depending on the successes recorded during the pilot period, his firm plans to roll-out the project to other parts of the country from 2018 forward starting with Eastern, Southern, Northern and North-western Provinces.
Copper just aint doing it for Mr Sinkamba so he is going green. LOL. Our ‘respectable’ politicians. I love my country. 🙂
The idea is a brilliant one.
But there should be stringent measures in place to prevent abuse and stealing by those employed in the cultivation and processing; that’s my only worry.
Mr. sinkamba we need grow Ibange in well secured farms, not small scale farmers.
The Government, particularly the DEC as its Security Wing, should treat Sinkamba as a mentally very sick person who needs rehabilitation at Chainama Hospital. This strange politician picked up the idea of legalising Marijuana from a South African MP of Italian origin.
Cannabis sativa has compounds with mind-altering properties(psychotropic), the phenolic terpenoids called cannabinoids. This plant contains compounds that are mutagenic (causing genetic mutations), carcinogenic (induce cancer) and teratogenic (cause abnormal growth in embryonic human babies). Cannabis causes neuronal apoptosis (progressive destruction of cells and DNA.
The S. African MP who advocated for Marijuana legalisation actually died from drug habits. SINKAMBA is therefore MENTALLY VERY SICK.
@mwansa kabinga, u r a very stupid person yourself, kindly know and research what this guy is talking about, dont just say that chainama bullshit. do you know the medicinal advantages of weed chikala. most developed countries give people with cancer the same medicinal weed to help with the pain and it works , even for women with bad period pains.
@@Mwansa Kabinga
Sensimilla is big business in Colorado State. I am watching another unit of government in the northern region looking at making sensi the second source of its revenue.
It is an idea worth trying, especially for economedic (my word) purposes.
Now prophecy by peter tosh about legalizing marijuana/herb/eye grain/sinsmiilla/weed is about to be fulfilled.these are people we need.not those promoting vodka or tobacco which have killed people.foolish people still smoke Tobacco even when it is written on it that CIGGRATE SMOKING IS HAZARD TO HEALTH.let all well meaning zedians support this noble cause so that we do away with copper dependence.us Easterners are good at growing good ganja far much better than Cuban herb.legalize and I will advertise it!
@mwansa kabinga.why don’t you also talk against tobacco which kills many people and yet it is legal to grow and smoke it ?is it because it is processed by a white man’s firm (British American) ?you hypocrites!
Well said ganja farmer..this is really a brilliant idea by Peter Sinkamba, we need such people in the country. God am loving my country!!!
Thats a great idea. I will now be having my dobo next door.
DEC.. ASK SINKAMBA TO BRING A SAMPLE FOR DISCUSSIONS..
THEN ARREST THE CHAP
@ Mwansa Kabinga and Apparatchik
atleast has an idea that would save our dying economy..
just like copper is used to make bullets and we dont see bullets all over the streets, we will not dobo on the streets if we put stringent measures/security.
this will be used for medicinal purpose only.
i find myself agreeing with Peter
Ungoni baba! Tiyeni ku ncwala pa Saturday!
I wonder why this muppet is not nabbed by DEC because he obviously smokes the weed, a thing illegal in Zambia.
Why take your ideas to a law enforcement agency and not to the law makers? Thought you first need to get the law changes for the law to be changed…
He has a brilliant idea of diversifying our economy,let government take his idea and use the protected areas ZNS to grow the weed.The challenge of his company is on managing the drug at all levels.Otherwise it is a good idea.