Speaker Nabih Berri’s proposal to legalize cannabis in Lebanon has raised hopes in the country that thousands of the plant’s wanted cultivators could be granted general amnesty. The legalization of cannabis could ease the burden on security agencies, which pursue cultivators and drug smugglers day and night, often leading to armed clashes. A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that there was a major difference between growing cannabis and the drug trade. “According to the current law, there is a major difference between those who trade and smuggle drugs abroad and between those who cultivate cannabis to sell it and make money. Its cultivation is, however, illegal,” he added. Several locals in the eastern Baalbek al-Hermel region rely on growing cannabis as their main source of income. The majority of these locals are fugitives and cannot hold any other profession due to their criminal records. They said that they will continue with their cannabis cultivation, whether or not it is eventually sanctioned by law, because it is more profitable than growing other plants, including tobacco. Concerned committees are preparing to study all aspects of the cannabis file, including outstanding arrest warrants linked to its farmers. MP Ayoub Hmeiyed, of Berri’s parliamentary bloc, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the main idea behind the speaker’s proposed law is to “end the current bitter reality for the residents or Baalbek Hermel and other regions” that do not share their bad reputation. The law will not be limited to growing cannabis, but it will also include an administrative aspect that would manage its cultivation, similar to how tobacco is managed by the Regie organization, he explained. The cannabis could be eventually used for medical needs. The legal issue of fugitives wanted on cannabis-related charges will also be tackled, he added. “The positive purposes of the cannabis project should be achieved. We must also compensate the residents of regions that boast the most fertile soil to grow this plant,” he remarked. Over 30,000 fugitives from the eastern Bekaa region are wanted on cannabis-related charges. They often demand general amnesty from the authorities in order to be able to open a new chapter in their lives. A legal source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the legalization of cannabis will not lead to the annulment of warrants against these fugitives. The proposed law will not have a retroactive effect, but it will go into effect once it is published in the official gazette. Warrants against the suspects can only be dropped by a general pardon, he said. Once legalized, cannabis cultivators will be barred from selling their product to drug traders, but they will be limited to the state, he revealed.