Fiji government eyeing medical cannabis cash

Added on 06 October 2023

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Fiji government eyeing medical cannabis cash

Fiji’s government is seeking to generate alternative sources of revenue – and establishing a medical cannabis industry is on its list of potential options.

One of Fiji’s main sources of foreign income is its tourism industry, which accounted for nearly a quarter of GDP in 2019. But when COVID hit, a tough lesson was learned.

“Relying solely on tourism is not sustainable for our economy,” said Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica. “We must explore new avenues for generating income and diversifying our economy. One promising area we are considering is the cultivation of medicinal cannabis.”

Deputy PM Kamikamica made it clear that such a venture wouldn’t be happening in a wild-west type environment as it has in some other countries – and legalizing recreational marijuana was definitely not on the cards. In fact, even medicinal cannabis cultivated under this initiative wouldn’t be used domestically.

“It’s essential to understand that this endeavor will be closely regulated and confined to secure facilities,” he said. “There will be no local sales or marketing; instead, the products will be harvested, processed, and exported.”