Lesotho is the high-altitude, landlocked kingdom encircled by South Africa, and their Ministry of Health granted the South African medical company, Verve Dynamics, an official license for the legal cultivation of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes, making it the first cannabis production company on the continent of Africa to have been given administrative approval. Cannabis is already the kingdom’s main cash-crop. Right around seventy percent of South Africa’s cannabis is generated in Lesotho, and the continent’s market is growing rapidly.
Over 40% of the population of Lesotho lives below the international poverty line of US $1.25 a day. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime conducted a study in 2007 on “Cannabis in Africa”, it showed that an estimated 38.2 million Africans between the ages of 15 and 64 had used cannabis on at least an annual basis, and those numbers have grown exponentially in the last decade. The Lesotho Government is a parliamentary monarchy. The King of Lesotho, Letsie III, serves a largely ceremonial function; he no longer possesses executive authority and he’s basically prohibited from actively participating in political initiatives. The Prime Minister, Tom Thabane, is head of government and has executive authority.
Richard Davies, the managing director of Verve Dynamics said in a statement to journalists:
“Access to medicinal cannabis on the African continent has taken another major step forward today and Verve Dynamics is honored to be the first company in Africa to have been granted regulatory approval to begin the process of growing and producing high quality cannabis extracts commercially. The Government’s decision to move forward with this historic decision means that Lesotho will play a significant role in developing this industry, both locally and internationally, as well as establishing itself as a pioneer on the African continent with regards to state of the art extraction equipment.”
Verve Dynamics is a dedicated Vegan friendly manufacturer of highly purified botanical extracts and specialty ingredients sourced from around the world. You can learn more about Verve Dynamics at their website: www.vervedynamics.co.za
Tommy Knowledge