Zambia’s Green Party is lobbying maize farmers to help legalise the cultivation of marijuana. “This year’s poor maize price merely goes to show that it’s a poor man’s crop,” party President Peter Sinkamba said in an interview with Africanfarming.com.

The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is buying maize at K60/50kg, much to the disappointment of farmers. The Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) and FRA are also still deadlocked in negotiations to increase the price.

Sinkamba said the legal cultivation of marijuana will give farmers good profits, generate foreign exchange earnings and create much-needed jobs. “Farmers, therefore, must join us in fighting for the legal cultivation of marijuana,” he said.

Previously, the opposition leader went on record saying legalising marijuana will generate an estimated US$30 billion in foreign exchange earnings.

However, government said it will be irresponsible to legalise the plant. It said marijuana consists of more than 400 chemicals, including many toxic psycho-active elements whose long-term effects on humans remain largely unstudied.