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Visualizzazione post con etichetta markets. Mostra tutti i post

mercoledì 7 dicembre 2016

Piuttosto che legalizzare la cannabis ... fanno saltare il Governo

Ok. E' caduto il governo. Perchè? Perchè non vogliono legalizzare la cannabis.

Guardiamo i dati. La povertà alla quale questa classe politica ci ha portato, è frutto del loro arricchimento. Che si è fondato, tra le tante balle, che la cannabis non va legalizzata.

Ormai neppure più tutti i berlusconiani sono contro la legalizzazione. E' facile trovare in giornali di destra, titoli a favore della cannabis, sostenuti da idee economiche come quella portata da alcuni premi nobel dell'economia. Esistono ancora dei sostenitori del libero mercato e della libertà individuale. Insomma, non sono tutti fascisti a destra.



Ma torniamo alle dimissioni del premier. Questo governo, che da circa due anni ha incarico la richiesta di autorizzazione alla coltivazione alla cannabis, non si è ancora espresso.
Da un punto di vista economico quanto può avere danneggiato l' Italia?
Ebbene, circa il 20% del pil



Dopo «un quindicennio perduto», il Paese «soffre oggi di una debolezza superiore all’atteso» sottolineano da Viale dell’Astronomia ricordando come il contesto «resta molto difficile» con «tutti gli indicatori qualitativi al ribasso».

Ancora il sole24ore

Confindustria: Italia ferma 15 anni, altri crescono

«Non riusciamo a schiodarci dalla malattia della bassa crescita di cui soffriamo dall’inizio degli anni Duemila» avverte il capo economista di Confindustria, Luca Paolazzi. I dati Csc mostrano come «prima, durante e dopo la Grande Recessione (in Italia più intensa e più lunga) si è accumulato un distacco molto ampio» con altri Paesi Ue. Tra 2000 e 2015, ricorda Confindustria, il Pil è aumentato in Spagna del 23,5%, Francia +18,5%, Germania +18,2%. In Italia è «calato dello 0,5%» e con le dinamiche in corso i gap aumentano oggi «ancor più rapidamente».


Dall'Istat: I NUOVI CONTI NAZIONALI IN SEC 2010  Innovazioni e ricostruzione delle serie storiche (1995-2013),  “Le modifiche connesse al superamento delle riserve europee sull’implementazione del Sec 95 hanno contribuito alla revisione per 0,8 punti percentuali. Di queste, la modifica con il maggior impatto (1,0 punti percentuali) riguarda l’inclusione di alcune attività illegali tra l’economia non osservata.”
Scendendo nel dettagli di questa valutazione economica emergono alcuni dati interessanti elaborati dall’ufficio Statistico.
- “l’inclusione delle importazioni illegali di droga e tabacco di contrabbando ha inciso per 0,2 punti sulla revisione complessiva”
- “La spesa per consumi finali delle famiglie ha subito una revisione al rialzo del 4%, spiegata per 1,6 punti percentuali dalle riserve (quasi interamente connessa all’inclusione dell’economia illegale”

Avete mai sentito Renzi parlare di "riserve da parte dell'europa?"
Di 13 miliardi di flessibilità?Indovinate un pò di che flessibilità parla quando fa riferimento a quei numeri?Al mercato della cannabis!

Sempre nella nota informativa: "La componente più rilevante tra le tre attività illegali ora misurate dai conti nazionali riguarda la commercializzazione di droga, la quale, in termini di valore aggiunto, è valutata nel 2011 in 10,5 miliardi di euro.
....
Il valore aggiunto derivante da attività illegali è il risultato di una produzione valutabile in circa 16 miliardi a fronte della quale si stima un ammontare di costi intermedi pari a 1,7 miliardi; questi ultimi generano, a loro volta, un valore aggiunto di 1,2 miliardi connesso alla produzione di beni e servizi legali indotta da attività illegali (Prospetto 4). Pertanto, la stima delle attività illegali, comprensiva dell’indotto, comporta un’integrazione di valore aggiunto nei conti pari a 15,5 miliardi di euro, con un’incidenza sul nuovo livello del Pil pari, nel 2011 allo 0,9%. "


(Prospetto 4)
Se si confrontano i dati di confindustria, con le stime pil dell'Istat con le conseguenze delle scelte politiche sul tema cannabis, emerge un dato "drogato". Eh si. I dati italiani non sono attendibili. La politica italiana ha nascosto all'Europa, un business ,da 13 miliardi di euro l'anno, che avrebbe potuto portare l'italia a crescere al passo di Spagna, Germania e battere con orgoglio i cugini francesi.

L' uno per cento del pil che il mercato della cannabis ha sottratto ai dati ufficiali è allarmante e andrebbe messo in regola. Come? legalizzando la cannabis e dichiarando il mercato aperto e libero all'impresa.

Questa è una battaglia per lo sviluppo economico e la lotta alla povertà.

Istat, un residente su quattro in Italia è a rischio povertà o esclusione sociale: al Sud quasi il 50%

L' incidenza di 1,7 punti percentuali annui, per 15 anni, avrebbe reso l'italia più ricca, semplicemente facendo una somma aritmetica, di 25.5 punti percentuali di incidenza. Divenendo la locomotirice d'europa.

Ma la cannabis non è mai stata legale. E dunque oggi siamo poveri e (in)felici.

Ma queste argomentazioni potrebbero essere troppo tecniche. Perciò l' economia, per rendersi più accessibile, ha spiegato il pil come il reddito dello stato e, semplificando, la crescita del pil come la crescita del reddito del cittadino. Significa che 25.5 punti di pil persi, è il 25% perso nella crescita del  reddito medio di un cittadino italiano. L' italiano è in media più povero. ora si può dire per causa della repressione di un mercato illegale.

L' Italia con la cannabis legale? Lo stato più potente d'europa.



lunedì 21 novembre 2016

Marijuana Sector Remains One of Markets Hottest Industry Behind Newest Products and Services

PALM BEACH, Florida, November 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The exploding cannabis and legal marijuana industry, globally and within the United States, is calling for a significant expansion and improvement of both services and operations as marijuana stocks within the industry aim to capitalize on the unprecedented momentum. Active companies in the sector this week include: Vemanti Group, Inc. (OTC: VMNT), Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA), Agritek Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AGTK), Cannabix Technologies Inc. (OTC: BLOZF) and Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG).


Vemanti Group, Inc. (OTC PINK: VMNT) a diversified holding corporation, announced today that its preparing to launch a new wholly-owned subsidiary, which will look to provide a comprehensive mobile commerce and payments service for the emerging cannabis industry. Through their smartphones, the service will enable retail customers to pay for goods at any participating dispensary without using physical cash. It will also present dispensaries, growers, and other legitimate participants of the industry with the opportunity of carrying out non-retail transactions among themselves in digital payments. 

Read the full Vemanti (VMNT) Press Release at: http://marketnewsupdates.com/news/vmnt.html

The Company believes that the emerging legal cannabis industry where retail and non-retail transactions, including vendor payments and payroll, are almost exclusively paid for with cash presents a real challenge for financial institutions. Concerned about the evolving conflict between federal and state laws, they are eager to avoid the inherent risks associated with this cash-intensive sector. It is widely acknowledged that many are unwilling to go to the expense of establishing and maintaining the type of thorough due diligence program for this emerging market at the present time in order to comply with growing demands of Know-Your-Customer (KYC) guidelines, anti-money laundering regulations, and the US Patriot Act. As the result, traditional banking and payment solutions have been out of reach for the vast majority of cannabis businesses.

"The cannabis industry needs access to digital payments in order to grow, and consumers want a safe and secure way to purchase marijuana products without always relying on cash. Our goal for the new subsidiary is to launch a service that alleviates the risk of cash transactions and helps dispensaries monitor and record data needed to address concerns about violating anti-money laundering laws, with the long-term goal of moving transactions away from cash altogether. It will comply with every relevant regulatory requirement and provide a sustainable solution for the cannabis industry", commented Tan Tran, CEO of Vemanti Group.

In other cannabis developments and happenings to watch this week in the markets:


StoneBridge Partners, LLC -- a global finance communication and consulting firm -- announces the release of an in-depth business analysis of Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC PINK: MJNA) presented in a comprehensive report. The report, which outlines the company's formation and current operations, also offers insight into the perceived opportunities in the explosive-growth market of cannabis. It explores the Company's diversified portfolio of cannabis organizations and brands that continue to flourish as new markets open and existing markets continue to develop


Agritek Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AGTK) closed down slightly on Tuesday on just over 6.88 Million shares traded by the market close. Agritek Holdings, Inc. offers various products and services to the medicinal marijuana sector in the United States. It distributes hemp-based nutritional products; and provides solutions for electronically processing merchant transactions.

Cannabix Technologies Inc. (OTC Pink: BLOZF) closed up over 24% on Tuesday at $0.59 on just under 1 Million shares traded by the market close. Cannabix Technologies, developer of the Cannabix Marijuana Breathalyzer for law enforcement and the workplace, recently released images of its Beta 2.0 Cannabix Marijuana Breathalyzer. New images of the device can be viewed at http://www.cannabixtechnologies.com.

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: Pink: REFG) works to solve the fragmentation problem by identifying tools that are important to dispensaries, and customizing those tools specifically catered to the industry. We strive to create awareness within the medicinal marijuana industry and to develop an environmentally friendly, economically sustainable business while increasing shareholder value.

DISCLAIMER: MarketNewsUpdates.com (MNU) is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. MNU is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. MNU and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. MNU's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. MNU is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed MNU has been compensated three thousand nine hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued by Vemanti Group, Inc.. by the company. MNU HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and MNU undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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SOURCE MarketNewsUpdates.com
Marijuana Sector Remains One of Markets Hottest Industry Behind Newest Products and Services

giovedì 17 novembre 2016

U.S. Patent Allowance Granted to Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s Investment AXIM(R) Biotech for Use of All Cannabinoids in Its Controlled Release Chewing Gum

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - November 16, 2016) - Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC PINK: MJNA) announced today that its major investment AXIM® Biotechnologies, Inc. (AXIM® Biotech(AXIM), a world leader in hemp cannabinoid research and development, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Application Serial Number 9,433,601, a patent that claims the use of all cannabinoids in cannabinoid-containing controlled-release chewing gum products. A Notice of Allowance is issued after the USPTO makes a determination that a patent can be granted from the application, filed in April 2015. This patent covers the inclusion of all cannabinoids (both natural and synthetic) in a chewing gum delivery system, including Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), all of which may be incorporated in the Company's chewing gum products.
This new patent is an extension of AXIM® Biotech's patent for chewing gum as delivery methods for cannabidiol (Chewing Gum Compositions Comprising Cannabinoids). Prior to this new allowance, Patent 9,023,322 only claimed gum products as a delivery mechanism for cannabidiol (CBD), a well-known cannabinoid.
"We congratulate the AXIM team on receiving this new patent, another major milestone in the Company's continued efforts to research new solutions using cannabinoid-based drugs," said Dr. Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc.
"This patent will enable AXIM to include any of the at least 85 different cannabinoid compounds found in the cannabis plant, including CBD and THC, into its multiple cannabinoid controlled-release chewing gum products," added Dr. Titus. "As investors in AXIM, we are enthusiastic about how the Company continues to move forward as a leader in cannabinoid research and development."
AXIM® Biotech developed the patents it now owns for chewing gum as a delivery method for cannabinoids into two separate products. Its CBD-only Canchew® gum is marketed and is legal to purchase wherever CBD hemp oil products are sold. AXIM® Biotech holds the exclusive rights to market and distribute CanChew® Gum globally. CanChew® is a botanical hemp-derived CBD chewing gum with a unique oral mucosal absorbance delivery system. Features listed on the CanChew® website include:
  • Non-habit forming
  • No prescription needed
  • Available in all 50 states
  • Great-tasting mint gum has no artificial sweeteners or preservatives
  • Non-GMO, gluten free, vegan and kosher
In addition, AXIM® will start clinical trials for its combination CBD/THC gum, MedChew® Rx, for the treatment of pain and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. Directly compared to a sublingually delivered cannabis-based product currently on the market for MS, the estimated market size for MedChew® Rx is $4.8 billion USD. MedChew® Rx is on track to be fully registered by the EMA and FDA.
AXIM has also developed CanChew Plus™ CBD containing gum with improved delivery system and doses of 10 mg of CBD and 30mg of CBD which is set to begin clinical trials in the EU. Besides these, AXIM has developed CanChew Rx™, which is based on pharmaceutical-grade, 99.9% pure CBD crystals, extracted and manufactured based on company IPs and containing 10, 30, 50, 100 and 150 mg of CBD in microencapsulated form (AXIM IP) for significantly increased bioavailability of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient.
Another AXIM® Biotech patent-pending cannabis innovation in clinical trials is AX-1602. The first of its kind, AX-1602 contains CBG (cannabigerol) and other cannabinoids as a treatment for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
AXIM® Biotech's core belief is responsibility for environmental stewardship combined with development of innovative products to address conditions with no currently known effective treatment including: Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease/dementiaADHD(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), PTSD, autism, MS, spasticity, pain, RLS (restless leg syndrome), glaucoma, IBD, IBS and Crohn's disease.
About Medical Marijuana, Inc.
Our mission is to be the premier cannabis and hemp industry innovators, leveraging our team of professionals to source, evaluate and purchase value-added companies and products, while allowing them to keep their integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. We strive to create awareness within our industry, develop environmentally-friendly, economically sustainable businesses, while increasing shareholder value. For details on Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s portfolio and investment companies, visit www.medicalmarijuanainc.com.

U.S. Patent Allowance Granted to Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s Investment AXIM(R) Biotech for Use of All Cannabinoids in Its Controlled Release Chewing Gum

sabato 23 luglio 2016

Medical Marijuana Stocks Are Set to Skyrocket in 2016


Medical Marijuana Stocks Are Set to Skyrocket in 2016


Medical marijuana stocks are smashing the broader market by a huge margin in 2016. Companies like Cannabis Science Inc. (OTCMKTS: CBIS) and CannaGrow Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS: CGRW) have seen shares soar 14.8% and 37% this year, respectively.
And we expect this to continue for five important reasons…

Bullish Reason for Medical Marijuana Stocks No. 5: Surging U.S. Sales

medical marijuana stocks
Sales of cannabis in the United States are projected to increase a hefty 25% this year to $6.7 billion. Driving this explosive growth will be the widespread acceptance of medical marijuana…
According to ArcView Market Research, marijuana use for medicinal purposes alone will bring in more than $10 billion in sales by 2020. That's up from less than $5 billion in 2015.
This massive rise in revenue will also increase the overall value of the market. Bank of America Merrill Lynch reported the U.S. marijuana industry could be worth roughly $30 billion annually by 2020. That's three times bigger than the National Football League's annual revenue of $10 billion.

Bullish Reason for Medical Marijuana Stocks No. 4: Growing List of Applications

Cannabis is used to treat a number of ailments and diseases. The list continues to expand as research continues to grow and bring new findings.
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Medical marijuana has been known to treat the following diseases…
  • AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, asthma, cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, epilepsy, glaucoma, migraines, multiple sclerosis, and various psychological conditions
Marijuana advocates hope new medical cannabis research will generate even more research and uses for cannabis. That will increase marijuana's credibility among medical professionals.

Bullish Reason for Medical Marijuana Stocks No. 3: Widespread Legalization

Marijuana legalization has become a huge movement across the United States, and it's not slowing down anytime soon.
Currently, there are 25 states – and Washington, D.C. – that allow medical marijuana use. The list of states includes…
  • Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington
That list will increase this fall once more than 20 states vote on cannabis legalization in November.

Bullish Reason for Medical Marijuana Stocks No. 2: Growing Number of Dispensaries

As more states get on board with marijuana legalization, more dispensaries and other pot retailers will open up shop.
In fact, one state is making headlines this week as it prepares to open its first dispensary location…
Yesterday (Wednesday, July 20), the Florida Department of Health granted dispensary organization Trulieve permission to open a location in Tallahassee. It will be the state's first cannabis dispensary and will start delivering marijuana throughout the state. Trulieve is set to open in Tallahassee on Tuesday, July 26.
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While Trulieve will only sell to a narrow range of patients, medical marijuana could soon be available for a wider range of conditions. Florida is one of the states set to hit the polls in November to vote on legalization.
More and more officials are starting to realize the benefits of medical marijuana to patients and states. In fact, 2016 could be a breakout year for medical marijuana.
This last reason shows why one of the most controversial topics of 2016 will be bullish for pot stocks in 2016…

Bullish Reason for Medical Marijuana Stocks No. 1: U.S. Politics

Both the Democratic and Republican stances on medical marijuana will fuel research and boost cannabis stocks in 2016.
On July 10 at the Democratic National Committee's 2016 National Platform, Democrats voted on an amendment to legalize marijuana in the United States. The pro-legalization camp won by a narrow margin, with the vote coming in at 81 to 80.
Democrats claimed they will support policies allowing more cannabis research to be done. They will also support changing laws to allow dispensaries to operate without being shuttered or prosecuted by the law.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party will be pressured to act on marijuana legislation at the federal level. It's leaning toward legalizing cannabis as fresh research expands on its effectiveness and revenue-generating possibilities.
Money Morning will continue to cover the cannabis market in 2016. Later this summer, we'll also share a carefully curated list of the best U.S. marijuana stocks to buy. So make sure you check back soon.

martedì 23 giugno 2015

Cannabis business gets higher and higher at Cow Palace

Longtime cannabis activist Russ Belville couldn’t be more definitive in delivering his “Marijuana Legalization State of the Union” Saturday.

“The state of the union is stronger than it’s ever been,” Belville said after giving his address at the Cannabis Cup, the marijuana trade show that is expected to draw 16,000 people to the Cow Palace in Daly City through Sunday. Unlike the president’s address delivered annually in Washington, Belville began his by welcoming “the tokers, tokettes and non-toking lovers of liberty.”

There is much to bring a smile to a cannabis supporter these days. With marijuana legal for adult recreational use in four states, and headed to the ballot in the next two years in potentially 10 others, including California, the industry is worth almost $3 billion in the United States.

‘I can barely keep up’

Nowhere is that more evident than at the Cannabis Cup, which isn’t just a trade show but a competition that rewards the best buds, the best edible products and a whole host of other bests that the winners tout as green bragging rights. Steve DeAngelo, a longtime activist and the founder of Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, will receive a lifetime achievement award Sunday.

The first show in the United States was held in San Francisco five years ago, and the event has blossomed to where there will be seven in various states this year.

“I can barely keep up,” said Dan Skye, editor in chief of the 41-year-old High Times Magazine, the monthly that chronicled the high life long before the mainstream embraced it and now sponsors the event.

There’s no trade show in the world like this. Go to a trade show at Moscone Center, and you may get a free T-shirt and a key-chain fob. Here, you get a buzz.

The centerpiece of the event is a fenced-in area where participants holding a medical marijuana card can imbibe, sampling the wares of 416 vendors. Don’t have a card? For a $40, medical professionals will provide an immediate exam to determine whether you need cannabis treatment and provide prospective patients with permission to get inside on the spot, since marijuana is legal in California only for medicinal purposes.

Inside is a marijuana mall of products, from cannabis-infused hot sauce to dog treats to “sugarfree, vegan, non-GMO” edibles to Dank Darts — billed as “the world’s first ever marijuana dart game.” Doesn’t that sound like something you think up when you’re baked?

“Pretty much,” said Dank Darts owner Jenn Delmoral. “But that’s why we did it. The drinkers have beer pong. We should have something, too.”

Vendors showcasing products involved in “dabbing” — a process where users ingest a concentrated form of cannabis in a wax or oil — were prominent. Popular with younger adults who don’t want to smoke a lot of flower to get a strong buzz, the product has boomed over the past few years. Particularly because you only use half a pea-size amount of the wax — a dab — to get high.

“I've been in the industry 20 years, and nothing has affected it like the dabs,” Tony Van Pelt said as he worked at a tent for a company called I Love Dabs, which sells equipment used in the process. It isn’t cheap — $300 for a complete setup — but the buzz is powerful.

“It’s like the difference between drinking a shot and drinking a beer,” Nate Andreas said after enjoying a dab.

Freedom from stigma

Andreas, who lives in Visalia (Tulare County), enjoys coming to the cannabis shows because “unlike being in a small town, where everything is all hush-hush, here you can openly go up and talk to people about how they do things, how they make things.”


Belville, who has attended almost every Cannabis Cup across the country, sees that. “Maybe not in San Francisco, but in a lot of parts of the country, there’s a stigma about marijuana still.”

As the cannabis industry has boomed, the Cup events have mirrored those changes, Belville said.

“It used to be about the activism,” he said. “Now it is about the business.”


Joe Garofoli is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli

sabato 30 maggio 2015

This Is Where ISIS Gets Its Weed

Most Lebanese hash is produced by Shia who are sworn enemies of the so-called Islamic State, but that doesn’t mean they won’t sell them a ton or two.





THE BEKAA VALLEY, Lebanon — They are killing Syrians and each other at an astronomical rate but there seems to be one thing that jihadist troops and Assad allies are working together on: getting high on Lebanon’s supply.

Just across a snow-capped mountain range, in the Bekaa Valley, are weed fields tended mostly by poor, Assad-friendly Shia farmers. But business is business. They tell The Daily Beast they are selling their products to ISIS recruits, who are allegedly blazing Lebanese blond and reselling it to fund their atrocities.

“Last month we sold one ton of hash to ISIS,” says “Imad,” who farms a 15-acre cannabis plot in the shadow of the Qalamoun Mountains that separate the valley from Syria. (He declined to use his real name out of fear of arrest.) The 50-year-old father of six has fought in Syria with Hezbollah against the so-called Islamic State, often referred to as ISIS. And he was related to one of the Lebanese soldiers captured and beheaded by jihadists in the border town of Arsal, a key base of support in Lebanon for the Sunni sectarian fundamentalist movement that has used mass murder, torture, and rape to establish a self-proclaimed caliphate.

But none of that stopped Imad and some of his fellow farmers from brokering the drug deal with the holier than thou “caliphate” that he says also included “some coke and pills.”

Assad’s fighters, less surprisingly, also like to go to war with a buzz, and also want a piece of the action distributing one of Lebanon’s largest exports. “We sell a bit to people in the Syrian army, too,” said Imad, a little cautious on the subject. “It’s small scale, one to two kilos at a time.”

Imad, sporting a trim beard and green military fatigues, says he hates ISIS with a bitter passion and swears he will hunt down and kill those in Arsal who butchered his relative, but, again, business is business. The war, he says, has blocked the traditional trade routes through Syria to markets in Jordan and Turkey, so selling to militants is one of the ways to continue to turn a profit.

“Before the war in Syria we would cross the mountains with 200 kilos [of hash] each, get the cash and come back,” he told The Daily Beast. Nowadays the only exports to Syria happen when militants make orders.

Clouds hang low over the fertile valley where the earth is moist and warm with the coming of spring, and Imad bends down to inspect his recently planted crop. His calloused hand gently lifts a green pointed leaf to make sure it is healthy. He reads it like a printout, in ways farmers have passed down over centuries of cannabis cultivation in the region.

The Bekaa’s traditional dominance of the hash business is being challenged, however.

ISIS and the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front are also able to develop their own hash-cash economy. According to Ahmad Moussalli, a political science professor at the American University in Beirut who specializes in Islamist movements, the vast territorial gains by ISIS around Syria’s border with Lebanon have given the jihadists control over significant areas of cannabis cultivation. They are “profiting from the trade,” says Moussalli, referring to accusations by the Lebanese army.

But those profits are getting harder to come by, at least in Lebanon. The war has created competition for Bekaa’s hash industry while an increase in the valley’s own production has sent prices plummeting. The war has altered the underground trade by blocking major routes, and it has also pulled the Lebanese security forces’ attention away from the Bekaa’s weed farmers.

The result is an exceptionally bountiful bud harvest with few places to go, says a major hash exporter who refers to himself as “Abu Hussein.”

“We had a good harvest this season but have a distribution problem,” Abu Hussein told The Daily Beast.

We met at one of Abu Hussein’s houses in the Bekaa town of Brital, known as a center of Lebanon’s underworld. The mostly Shia town of 20,000 has gained a reputation as a hash and weapons trade hub as well as a place to find counterfeit passports.

It is also known for its fierce opposition to ISIS. Posters of Hezbollah martyrs and the party leader, Hassan Nasrallah, plaster the entrance to the hilly village on the edge of the towering mountains. “When Daesh [the Arabic acronym for ISIS] attacked this area in August, the people of the town rose up to push them back,” says Abu Hussein. The battle on the outskirts was fought by village residents and Hezbollah fighters, he said.

There is little attempt to hide the illicit trade here. As we sat in Abu Hussein’s living room, his friend dropped a 10-pound bag of reddish-brown hashish, still waiting to be compressed, on the coffee table. He then returned to puffing on a massive blunt that would make Snoop Dogg proud.

Abu Hussein’s hoodie bunches over his pot belly as he slumps into the couch, describing how this year’s yield should bring in $200 million for the valley. It will sell for much more on the street and the largest cut of the profits, he says, will go to about 100 major exporters.

While Shia farmers play a large role in the trade, Abu Hussein says Sunni villages in the area also grow cannabis, and the trade employs people across confessions and nationalities. Bekaa is a place where Sunni, Shia, and Christian communities live in close proximity, if not always as neighbors.

“Syrian workers here process [the hash] and Christian army officers smuggle it out,” says Abu Hussein. It’s a mass export industry that relies on bribing government and security officials.
The huge influx of over a million Syrian refugees into Lebanon, a country of 4 million, has created a pool of unemployed and exploitable workers that is now vast, but Abu Hussein says Syrians have been a cheap source of labor in hash production since the days when Lebanon was occupied by Syrian forces and Damascus tried to erase the borders.

Since the Syrian civil war started, Lebanese hash mostly ends up in Egypt, Syria, the Gulf and Saudi Arabia, But Abu Hussein notes that Israelis, too, get a small portion of Bekaa bud. It travels either via Jordan or in bags that are tossed over the closed border fence between Lebanon and northern Israel in exchange for bags of cash thrown back.

Only a sliver of these profits will make it back to the growers. Imad estimates he will get just over $4,000 per acre, a total of $60,000, from his last harvest. He says it will sell for 16 times that price on the street and suggests he would prefer to grow potatoes and vegetables. But that’s more or less a fantasy. He did try to grow potatoes, he says, and he lost almost $60,000.

“If the government supported us we wouldn’t be doing this,” he tells The Daily Beast. He says he is frustrated that government projects to support alternative agriculture have failed because of corruption.

As he sits with his family on the porch of his modest one-floor home, which accommodates his wife, six children, and his parents, it is clear why Imad’s situation, common in these parts, has the potential for political exploitation. On the one hand, he is on the ground floor of the drug trade, steeped in corruption that is heightened by Syria’s war. On the other, he is a farmer, the salt of the earth, in Lebanese terms, who is trying to eke out a living in an industry that has been a part of the valley for centuries.

It is a situation that led Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt, head of Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party, to call for legalizing the cannabis trade. “It creates economic activity for poor people,” he tells The Daily Beast.

Moussalli points out that Jumblatt’s position hasn’t received much opposition and is part of increasing political competition for the support of Bekaa farmers. “Jumblatt is trying to soften his position with the Shia,” he says.

“Hash is one of the very important trades for Lebanon historically,” says Moussalli. “It will be important for years to come, either legally or illegally. ”


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