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Kenya has allowed us grow bhang on a 500-acre ranch - American company says

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A worker collects cuttings from a marijuana plant at the Canopy Growth Corporation facility in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada, January 4, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
A worker collects cuttings from a marijuana plant at the Canopy Growth Corporation facility in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada, January 4, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

An American company based in the state of New York, GoIP Global Inc, has claimed to have obtained a licence from the Kenyan government that will allow it to cultivate marijuana in a 500-acre ranch. 

The company, which is listed in OTC Markets Group, made the announcement as part of its responsibility to shareholders. 

GoIP Global INc said it had received approval from the Ministry of Agriculture and is finalizing steps for licensing to export Cannabis. The lease will last for 25 years. 

The company added that Kenya being on the equator provides the best conditions for year round production which will allow Kenyan Cannabis production to fill the need for Medical and recreational Cannabis demand for the European Union and Canada.

After visiting Kenya and meeting with officials in country, I’m very excited about the prospects this agreement brings to our company. This is the first of several critical transactions that will transform GOIP into a relevant member of the burgeoning cannabis industry," GoIP Chairman Ike Sutton said. 

Hamadi Boga

The Ministry of Agriculture, through Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga, however, denied being aware of such a licence given that marijuana is illegal in Kenya. 

I am not aware of the licensing of the said firm to grow marijuana. As you are aware, cannabis is not in the list of crops that we currently regulate,” Boga told the Business Daily.

The development has come at a time when the movement for legalisation of marijuana has gained momentum with various countries around the world allowing the plant to be used for medicinal and recreational use. 

In Kenya, Kibra MP Ken Okoth has championed the Marijuana Control Bill that will allow controlled use of cannabis sativa. 

Okoth, who is battling against cancer, said marijuana has medicinal benefits - in addition to numerous economic advantages. 

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