By Farayi Mungoshi

WHEN we utter the word cannabis, there are a variety of reactions ranging from joy, anger to horror as well as many things we have been told about it while growing up — how it makes people who take it go ‘mad’.
Generally, when the subject is brought up, it has been debated and discussed in negative tones while many treat it with disgust.
Why do we quickly go negative when the issue of cannabis is raised?
The evil that has been associated with this plant, drilled in us over the years, has blinded us from the realities and truths about cannabis.
When the news came through that it had been legalised, many were shocked — an evil substance has been legalised is the conclusion of many.
Most of the people I met all concluded: “Ah izvi ndezve kupenga manje!”
They also said those celebrating are the ones who abuse this plant.
In fact, those who abuse the plant believe this is some sort of licence to smoke cannabis on the streets.
But have we paused to ask ourselves: Why is everything associated with the plant always been negative?
What do we really know about this plant?
How and where do currently held perceptions regarding this plant come from?
Why is it considered such a ‘rebel’ plant?
Looking back to school days, nothing was ever said about cannabis in the school curriculum despite its many attributes health-wise and industrial-wise.
So where did all the (mis)information come from, for it to be so deeply entrenched in our psyche?
The truth is that not everything about cannabis is bad; in fact, the plant has more to offer than most people know.
There are many uses for cannabis that can benefit the nation and change the economy for better.
The cannabis plant can provide us with over 50 000 consumables from food and drinks to carbon fibre.
It is probably the only plant in nature that can feed, house and clothe you.
Oils, textiles, building, cosmetics, paper and many more can be made from this plant.
The crop can be planted and harvested twice a year, it needs no large amount of fertiliser or rains to grow, thereby making it less cash intensive for farmers to grow and maintain.
It can also be rotated with tobacco as it helps to replace nutrients in the soil.
Most of its products are environmentally friendly.
These are realities and truths that have been hidden from the eyes of the people, especially Africans, regarding cannabis.
While most people have embraced cannabis as a medicinal plant, as it is now common knowledge that it can be used as a sedative for stress and hypertension among other uses, most people are still unaware of its industrial attributes.
It is interesting to note that during the period the British Empire was gallivanting around the world conquering and colonising other peoples of the world and stealing their lands, the cannabis plant fibre was used to make the sails and ropes for the rigging of their ships.
In fact, you could say cannabis was and still is, instrumental in the conquest and subjugation of this continent and its peoples.
Some of the first cars to be made in the US were manufactured using cannabis fibre and also the oil from the cannabis seeds can be extracted for biofuel which can be used for cars.
Cannabis has been used for thousands of years but at some point it was made illegal, why?
Because of its many medicinal attributes, it was putting some entities like the big pharmaceutical companies out of business, as it was coming at a low cost compared to some of the medicines they were peddling.
And like most laws we inherited from the colonisers, this law was not amended till now.
So, is it a good idea that it has been legalised in Zimbabwe?
The answer is an emphatic yes!
The biggest question is: Are we ready for such a change?
Do we have the right mindset?
Many countries have legalised the plant, for example Holland and over half of America’s 50 States.
Why?
To boost their economies, and what better way for us to build our own economy?
We just need to start looking at cannabis with the right mindset and stop thinking about smoking it only but using it to build the nation.
Medicines, paper, bricks and many other things can be produced from cannabis.