The Rwandan government will soon open a large medical cannabis production site of 134 hectares. The information, relayed by the Rwandan daily The New Times, comes from the Rwandan Development Board (RDB). This information marks the official launch of medical cannabis, a few months after having officially legalized it.
This site, whose locality remains unknown, will be a little smaller than the size of the Principality of Monaco. This large area proves the ambitions of the Rwandan government.
He hopes to take advantage of “green gold”. The head of the RDB provides 10 million dollars for a harvest of one hectare… much more than the 300,000 dollars per hectare brought in by flowers, another source of agricultural income.
These 134 hectares will soon be open… but no cultivation license has been granted yet. “The government will select companies with experience in the production of cannabis for medical use. At the moment, five companies are in advanced discussions”announces an RDB executive quoted by the NewTimes.
We do not know their identity. The newspaper specifies that those who applied for a license are both “consortia” only “local businesses”.
Cannabis for export to Europe and America
Companies hitting the jackpot will need to make big investments in security. The decree legalizing medical cannabis provides a system worthy of the American gold reserve of Fort Knox. It will take a ” double layer fence” a security officer ” 24/7″of the ” video surveillance “unot “intrusion detection system” and a control room.
Cannabis produced in Rwanda will only be exported elsewhere. The target countries? The United States and its 37 states have legalized medical cannabis, Canada, and Europe, with some countries having authorized its use such as Germany or the United Kingdom.
Rwanda also wants to compete with its neighbors in southern Africa, such as Lesotho, Botswana, Uganda or Zimbabwe. These countries want to be very active in the legal cultivation of cannabis. The populations have been growing the plant for hundreds of years, with exceptional old varieties.
