Cannabis in Lebanon

An Ancient Culture in the Bekaa Valley

For decades, farmers in the Bekaa Valley and the Hermel foothills have grown cannabis outside any legal framework. In these rural areas, where infrastructure and government support are virtually nonexistent, the plant has often been the only stable source of income for thousands of families, producing hashish that is highly regarded in regional markets despite its lack of legal status.

Law 178/2020: A Regional First

In April 2020, the Lebanese Parliament passed Law No. 178/2020—the first of its kind in the Middle East—specifically authorizing the cultivation, production, processing, and export of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes. The law requires that authorized products have a THC content of less than 1 % and does not alter the criminal provisions regarding recreational use, which remains strictly prohibited.

The law establishes two bodies responsible for issuing cultivation licenses, setting the conditions for obtaining permits, and ensuring the traceability of production, from seed to finished product.

Slow but Steady Progress

The implementation of the legal framework took place over several years:

• 2020 : Passage of the law authorizing cultivation for medical and industrial use
• 2023 : Implementation of the Cannabis Cultivation Management Committee, in charge of regulation
• 2024 : Launch of the first regulated crops under license
• 2025 : expansion of the program to all eligible regions, submission of the first applications for experimental licenses, partnership with a Canadian company for the certification of crops, and launch of a research program at the Lebanese University.

An economic forum on medical cannabis, held in Beirut in February 2026, brought together investors, farmers, and public institutions to assess the practical viability of the industry.

An Economic Gamble for a Country in Crisis

Stifled by colossal public debt and the collapse of its currency, Lebanon sees medical and industrial cannabis as a potential driver of economic recovery. Some estimates suggest a market that could generate up to $3 billion a year, in a country where total government revenue does not exceed $11 billion. The Minister of Agriculture has confirmed that full regulation of the sector could generate substantial revenue as early as 2026, as producers will now be able to sell their crops to local and international pharmaceutical manufacturers at prices aligned with the global market.

Ongoing Challenges

The transition from an informal economy to a regulated market remains fraught with obstacles: access to financing for small-scale producers, international competition (notably from Morocco, another regional pioneer that legalized medical cannabis cultivation in 2021), the country’s political and economic instability, and the need to convince a segment of the rural population to join a licensing system perceived as restrictive after decades of informality.

Key Takeaways

• In 2020, Lebanon legalized the cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes only. L‘Recreational use remains prohibited.
• The valley of the Bekaa is the historic and current heart of production.
• Implementation picked up speed between 2023 and 2025, with the first dedicated economic forum to be held in February 2026.
• The sector is described as a a major driver of economic recovery for a country in the midst of a severe financial crisis.

Find all the latest Newsweed coverage here on developments in Lebanon’s legal cannabis industry, its key players, and its economic challenges.