Uganda Sows Seeds Of Medical Marijuana Industry

KASESE, UGANDA - NOVEMBER 10: A farm worker picks Cannabis inside a greenhouse on November 10, 2020 in Kasese, Uganda. Uganda is one of several African countries looking to produce medical cannabis for export to Europe and America. Since 2017, five countries on the continent have legalized the farming of cannabis for medicinal or industrial use. Rwanda earlier this month passed laws allowing production, and Uganda has already started exporting to markets in Israel. Farms in Lesotho (the first nation in Africa to issue licenses to produce medicinal cannabis) quickly attracted multimillion-dollar investments from Canada. Industrial Hemp, the only Ugandan cannabis company currently exporting, grows its crop in high-tech greenhouses in partnership with Together Pharma, an Israeli firm. In April they exported 250kg of medicinal cannabis - the first commercial batch to leave Uganda since the government approved export in January. Considering this successful export, the company is setting its sights on exporting to Europe and Canada. Scores of Ugandan companies have applied for licenses. (Photo by Luke Dray/Getty Images)