By Peter Sinkamba, Greens President
Poverty in Zambia is self-induced. If those who voted in 2014 and 2016 elections were serious with reducing their poverty, voting for the Green Party, Zambia would have helped the country jump out of the poverty frying pan by now.
Take for instance the U.S. where legal marijuana industry kicked off in 2014, the same time the Green Party floated the idea to the electorate, the marijuana business has become very big business in the U.S.
As at January, 2018, there are 30 States that now allow marijuana for medical use, 16 States allow Cannabidiol (CBD), 9 States and the District of Columbia now allow for recreational marijuana use. And more states are lining up to join the legalization wave.
The emerging industry generated nearly $9 billion revenue in sales in 2017, according to Tom Adams, managing director of BDS Analytics, which tracks the cannabis industry.
Just come to think of it: marijuana sales in 2017 were equivalent to the revenue for entire snack bar industry and was also more than the annual revenue from diapers in the entire U.S.
This year, the national marijuana sales are expected to rise to $11 billion and projected to reach $21 billion in 2021.
Meanwhile, copper revenue in Zambia from all mines put together, including ba jerabo, has plummeted from $6 billion in 2014 to $3 billion in 2017. Put different, the marijuana business has risen from zero in 2014 to four times Zambia’s copper revenue in 2017.
Provided the mentality of Zambia voters remains focused on petty issued, we should just as well forget jumping out the poverty frying pan.
Sinkamba… my man!!! The government is suffering from inertia… they are sleeping.
We are instead prting the money in fire tracks and Zambia airways. Which could have come later after the cannabis business.
We would not even have had to go with the Ethiopians cause we would have plenty to go around.
PF could do this if they want, but clearly, they are not seeing the benefits any more than what the now defunct fire tracks can bring.
I support PF, but on this one… they have misplaced priorities.
Let’s not support anyhow cause we support … on this one this, an criticising my own party.
Has this sinkamba heard about “THE AMERICA FIRST” dude called Donald J Trump? He thinks trump will allow zambian weed into America at the expense of American industry.
Sinkamba has been smoking some of that Marijuana hence this article
My President Peter Sinkamba. Keep saying it as it is. @ Col Mulenga (Ret) Israel along with the US State of California have some of the best Neuroscientist who for years have done ground breaking work in this area and for them to back lobby groups that have won the right to use Cannabis in a controlled and safe environment be it for recreational or medicinal purposes then that alone adds volumes in favour of it. South Africa are currently debating legislation to begin the commercial production of Hemp (a commercial variety of Cannibus) and potentially earn billions of USD to improve lives of their people. Alcohol which is legal remains the number one cause of so many social ills, car accidents etc but people remain silent on this, why?
The man has provided data but misinterpreted and misapplied it to fit his political aspirations.
The problem is NOT the legalization of cannabis in Zambia or any other African country. The problem is the discrimination against our countries and the trade-barriers from which global pharmaceutical companies already profit in order to keep the upper hand in the industry.
It makes no difference whether it’s copper or cannabis we’re exporting. As long as there is no fair trade, our farmers would continue to suffer the same fate as they do with cotton, coffee or maize.
I hear you man… so the least we can do is buy the fire tracks and ambulances.
I hear you, great thinking.
Nine Chale
“….our farmers would continue to suffer the same fate as they do with cotton, coffee or maize….”
ZAF just imported $62 million worth of uniforms…..add that to ZP , GRZ school uniforms….industry work cloths we have in the region of $100 annual import from other countries…
Meanwhile in Zambia, the dupe themselves on being Christian Nation …really laughable..
Smoking or Using Cannabis or Marijuana addles the mind, be it for Medicinal or Recreational purposes.
It is the addictive nature of the drug that is insidiously deleterious to the human body and the mind.
Studies have shown prevalence of Personality Psychosis or Disorders and Cancerous Tumors and ailments among those addicted to Cannabis.
We shouldn’t only look at the Economic Benefits of the Cannabis Trade, we should also value Human Health and Life.
Man has been created in the image of God. God (Soul) resides within the Human Body.
The Human Body is the Temple of God(Soul). The Soul uses the Mind mainly at Mundane than Spiritual levels.
The SOUL is the Divine Spark. It is the essence of God. According to God’s plan, the SOUL left God’s Abode,its True Home, eons ago. The SOUL…
Alcohols are more damaging to the human body…
Down the line Zambia too will legalise recreational and medical weed, we copy , that is what we do…….meanwhile there is a market for genuine natural African organic weed in Europe and the USA…while we wait to copy other countries will fill that market..
We may end up jumping from the Sauce Pan right into the Fire. Is it not this same “Ibange” which is the cause of some of the most erratic & irrational Behaviours that we have seen in the USA. Surely, there are other forms of turning around the Economy, other than “amabange”. Next, se shall hear someone say “let’s start growing Poppy because it will earn us $ 100 Billion. Next, we could end up with Drug Barons & Drug Wars. Let’s retain some Dignity, even in Poverty. Besides, Land alone is Richness. What not export Groundnuts, Soya Beans, Chillis, etc. Instead. With due respect to Wa Sinkamba, there are alternatives. What will stop People from being Consumers as well? It is time DEC intensified it’s Operations.
I thought he would Lobby for us to grow more Beans & Okra.
Cannabis has nothing or very little to do with the violence and irrational behaviours you see in the USA…..inshort refere to Holland which has allowed recreational smoking of cannabis for the past 30 years does not suffer such violence…
Blow some skunk
Not everything American is good for Zambia. Do we’ve the mechanism to ensure that the stuff doesn’t get to the wrong people?