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Cannabis in Lebanon

Lifestyle blog of Coffeeshop Smokerdam in Amsterdam Oud-Zuid

As an incredibly versatile plant species, cannabis offers a variety of possibilities all over the world.

Cannabis has quite a few possible applications and experiences around this plant can vary greatly. This stems from the different cultures where cannabis is important and the different strains developed in different countries. This versatile plant has an extensive history in Lebanon.
 

Cannabis in Lebanon
Hash is the most common way cannabis comes from Lebanon. The region has an extensive history with cannabis, mainly the Beqaa Valley. This history dates back to the Ottoman Empire.
It has even happened that cannabis was used as a currency. But at the beginning of the 1990s, the active eradication of cannabis began on a large scale. There have been many cases of abuse related to political influence. Mainly, this plant was used by the indigenous people as a source of income. During the Syrian occupation of the region, cannabis was primarily used as a way of financing terrorism. The climate has changed in the meantime, making a significant part of the region dependent on cannabis. The reason for this is to avert the poverty of most of the population. Lebanon exports hashish to Europe, Africa and the Gulf countries.

 

The costs
Production peaked in the 1980s, with the use of cannabis and hash becoming the norm among families and locals. They were deeply involved in the cultivation and hashish production industry. This culture was strongest in the Beqaa Valley. This attitude has instilled a sense of importance in the rest of the country where organizations had tried to link this plant with other illegal substances such as opium. It is nearly impossible to buy cannabis and hash on the street, but the resources are available in clubs and bars.
 

The quality
Lebanon is attractive because of the quality of the harvest and the careful processing of the cannabis and hash. Making hash is demanding for most growers. Only the female plants are used. Before the fabric is pressed together, everything goes through fine sieves with different mesh sizes. This is done to extract the finest fabric. In winter, the fabric is compressed into blocks using industrial equipment and fine fibers such as cotton.

 

Cannabis strains from Lebanon
The hash that Lebanon produces is of a phenomenal quality. One of the most famous strains is Royal Moby, this hashish is produced from late harvest plants. There is also a well-known lighter hashish in the region. This variety is made from trichomes that are not yet fully ripe. Generally known as Amnesia Haze, a variety with an intense cerebral effect.
 

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