Are the Taliban really going to allow marijuana operations?

By Nina Zdinjak

The recently announced agreement between a German cannabis company and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan appears to be still in the air.

German marijuana company Cpharm, which allegedly negotiated with the Taliban to set up cannabis operations in Afghanistan, is still waiting for certain international issues to be resolved, Marijuana Moment reported.

Photo by Mohammad Husaini via Unsplash

“CPharm is waiting for intergovernmental negotiations between the current Afghan government and the importing countries. Also, in order to continue investing in medical cannabis facilities, it is imperative that the current government get approval from the United Nations International Drug Control Committee (INCB), a spokesman for the outlet said.

Cpharm plans to set up an extraction facility in Afghanistan where marijuana will be grown by local growers and the end products will then be exported to overseas buyers.

The company’s previous efforts to open medical marijuana stores in Afghanistan have been in vain because the government was “very corrupt” and “bedded with criminals who wanted to maintain a monopoly on illegal cultivation and blocked our contract,” said CEO Werner Zimmerman separately from Cannabis Now.

RELATED: German Company Confirms Marijuana Deal With Taliban Regime

Although the previously discussed investment figures were around 450 million US dollars, ten times that figure (45 million US dollars) and over a period of five years are now being mentioned in the current negotiations.

“The lack of recognition by the UN prevents the project from continuing, because with a lack of recognition [the] The current Afghan government cannot export medical goods without the approval of the INCB, and countries can impose trade embargoes on such sensitive products, ”a spokesman told Marijuana Moment.

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“But we firmly believe that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has the prospect of concluding successful agreements with the INCB and the importing countries, as it is able to significantly reduce drug trafficking if legal alternative routes are made possible “The spokesman said, adding the company is” determined to pursue this project as Afghanistan has the potential to become the world’s largest agricultural cannabis producer “.

While Cpharm is focused on building its presence in Afghanistan, its home country Germany has announced plans to legalize cannabis sales, which are expected to generate $ 3.85 billion in annual tax revenues.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.